Zamperini
Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me. 2 May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame. 4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” 5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 70:1-5
The psalmist urgently calls upon the Lord for help, showing a deep sense of need. In his distress, his first response is to seek God’s assistance. He asks the Lord to overcome his enemies, to put them to shame and confusion, and to bring disgrace upon them. At the same time, he asks God to bring joy and peace to those who seek Him. Those who rely on God’s help should always be ready to proclaim that God is great. The psalmist also reflects on his own humility, acknowledging that he is poor and needy, and therefore dependent on the Lord’s help.
If you are a resident of Torrance, you probably at one point heard the name Louis Zamperini. If you went to Torrance High School, where I graduated from in 2011, you were very much aware of who Zamperini is because he came to speak at our school once a year before he passed away. Zamperini was also the subject of a best-seller non-fiction entitled “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand which was made into a film directed by Angelina Jolie. Zamperini was raised in Torrance, CA and he was also a rising track star at Torrance High School, eventually participating in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
When the war began, Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Force (known today as the U.S. Air Force). In 1943, after his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, Zamperini and two other crew members survived on a life raft for 47 days, enduring extreme hunger, thirst, shark attacks, and enemy fire. By the 27th day, dehydrated and delirious, Zamperini hit his breaking point. Facing near-certain death, he looked up at the sky and made a desperate plea to God saying that if God saves him then he would serve Him forever.
Miraculously, they survived the weeks adrift, only to be captured by the Japanese Navy and sent to a brutal POW camp where Zamperini endured more than two years of relentless physical and psychological torture. His sadistic captors targeted him for brutal beatings and humiliation. Despite these trials, Zamperini held onto his earlier promise to God.
After the war, Zamperini returned to the U.S., but he suffered from severe PTSD, anger, and depression. His wife was on the brink of divorcing him because of his alcohol addiction. However his life took a pivotal turn in 1949 when he attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. Hearing the message of forgiveness and God’s love, Louis Zamperini became a born-again Christian and remembered his promise to God while adrift in the Pacific Ocean during the war. He returned to Japan and visited the prisoners-of-war there, preaching the gospel and letting them know that he, as a former prisoner, forgave them. Several Japanese POWs trusted in Jesus Christ upon hearing this message.
Zamperini was hopeless drifting in the waters for so many days yet he was clinging on the promise he made to God. Zamperini was hopeless while captured and tortured under the Japanese captors, yet he continued to cling onto the promise he made to God. Zamperini was hopeless after the war where he was drunken and addicted to alcohol yet he was clinging on the promise he made to God. This promise is one he eventually followed-through with and he was a tremendously influential evangelist after his conversion. Streets, monuments, the airport, freeway, etc. all over in Torrance and the South Bay are named after the war and Christian hero, Louis Zamperini.
When we think upon our life, there are moments we feel hopeless and in despair. Yet for many of us, we made a promise to God where we committed to remain faithful to Him despite the trials and temptations we face. We made these promises when we were young at a Youth Retreat or perhaps later as an adult as we began to attend church. Do we forget these commitments? I pray we do not. I pray that when there are difficulties that come about in our lives, we remember the commitments we have made unto the Lord.
Life gets busy. Actually, let me rephrase that. Life is always busy. Yes, the Christian life is not an easy one and remaining committed is certainly not the easiest. However there is no greater joy that will come in your life aside from serving God and others. Let us be encouraged and let us keep running with our heads fixed towards Jesus.
Classmates and I together with Louis Zamperini’s final visit to Torrance High in 2011. He passed away three years later in 2014.
Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. 4 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. 5 The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.
Proverbs 13:3-5
We must guard our lips and be mindful of what we say and who we say it to. There are many that gossip and simply love to talk but we must not fall into their trap. When someone gossips about someone else, we must correct them and stop them. By the way, it is a reminder for us to remember that when someone gossips about someone else, they are also gossiping about you behind your back. Don’t be friends or keep a close relationship with one who has loose lips. A companion of fools will only make you a fool.
