The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few. Or the One.
I didn’t plan it this way but over the last week or so, I have taken in two radically different stories that speak a similar message. One was a documentary of what could have been one of the worst disasters in recent human history. The other was a science-fiction film based on a beloved novel. But both had a similar theme of being willing to sacrifice one’s own life in order that others might live. Both could have quoted Spock from Star Trek 2:
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
The documentary was Fukuskima: A Nuclear Nightmare on HBO Max and the movie was Project Hail Mary. In both we have stories of people being faced with a choice that could (or would) cost them their lives but would save the lives of so many more. (Those who have read PHM or seen the film know that the previous sentence has some nuance to it with the story but I am trying to avoid spoilers).1
At Fukushima, Japan in 2011, following the 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami, there were 60+ workers at the Fukushima plant who chose to stay and continue to do everything they could to prevent a nuclear meltdown which would have rendered most of the northern part of that Japanese island uninhabitable. The documentary largely focuses on their courageous story and their willingness to make this sacrifice. (While none of them died in the immediate, they were all subjected to high doses of radiation and, as a result, have been suffering the side effects since and will continue to do so the rest of their lives). One of the workers shares about a final series of emails he sends to his wife and children, not knowing if he would ever talk with or see them again. It was a heartbreaking thing to watch.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
Project Hail Mary tells the story of a solar-system-level catastrophe hat would devastate life on earth. In the story, three astronauts are sent on a one-way mission to a distant star to try to discover a way to turn this around. They go knowing that they will not be able to return home. Along the way the film also centers on themes of connection, moving beyond barriers, and much more (again - I am avoiding spoilers but you really should see the movie and read the book). It was the parallel of the story of personal sacrifice that continues to speak to me.
The needs of the many outweight the needs of the few. Or the one.
As Christians come to the final week before Easter (known as Holy Week), we center on the story of a man named Jesus who did that very thing. Christian theology speaks of how Jesus gave his life so that others would have life. In the Gospel of John, during the teaching that Jesus gives at his last meal with his friends, we have this line:
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)
I have long wrestled with that line becuase I don’t like the implication that our sacrifice should only be made for “our friends” because that’s not what Jesus did. Jesus gave his life not only for those friends around the table, but for those who were his enemies and those who were strangers to him. Those who stayed in that control center at Fukushima were giving their lives not only for their friends and family but for their enemies and for strangers. The astronauts who went to space in the fictional Hail Mary were giving their lives not only for their friends and family but for their enemies and for strangers. I would like to think that I would make that same choice if the opportunity arose. But I cannot say 100% that I would because I have never been put in such a situation.
This image gives me a sense of that choice. This was from walking around the lake a few mornings ago. The water was so still and reflected the morning sky so nearly perfectly. I got a bit of a sense of vertigo walking along because it was so clear. But the path was solid and secure and the direction ahead was known. Looking over into the water felt like looking into the unknown.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
Here are a few other images and videos from the last few days for me.
And then these two videos - one of a plane’s contrail moving along in the sky (But looking like cursive on the water) and then the energy of the water on Tuesday morning
And of course, Scout. Enjoying a beautiful early Spring afternoon
Grace, Peace, Love, Hope, and Joy,
Ed
Just a heads up - MaryAnn McKibben Dana and I will be digging deep into the film of PHM on Monday afternoon at 3 ET - spoilers galore but lots of fun conversation about this great movie! In addition if you want to read a great reflection on the film from a theological point of view, check out this reflection:
I haven’t read your posts in awhile, Ed, and this was refreshingly YOU. And THAT was a gift! Love to you, Amy, the “kids” and Scout!!