The father's name was John Griffith. He had lost all he had in the stock market crash. He moved to Mississippi where he took a job as bridge operator for a railroad trestle. In 1937 he was involved in a horrible accident. One day his 8 year-old son, Greg, spent the day with his Dad at work. The boy poked around the office and asked dozens of questions - just like little boys do. The bridge was over a river and when-ever a ship came John had to open the bridge to allow the ships to pass. The day the boy was there with his father a ship was coming so John opened up the draw bridge. After a moment or two he realized his son wasn't in the office and as he looked around, to his horror, John saw his son climbing around on the gears of the draw bridge. He hurried outside to rescue his son but just then he heard a fast approaching passenger train, the Memphis Express, filled with 400 people. He yelled to his son, but the noise of the now clearing ship and the oncoming train made it impossible for the boy to hear him. All of a sudden John Griffith realized his horrible dilemma. If he took the time to rescue his son the train would crash killing all aboard, but if he closed the bridge, the boy would be crushed in the gears. John would sacrifice his son. He made the horrible decision, pulled the lever and closed the bridge. It is said, as the train went by John could see the faces of the passengers, some reading, some even waving, all of them oblivious to the sacrifice that had just been made for them
The father had to be absolutely heartbroken about the sacrifice of his son. If I found out that my life had been spared because of this father's sacrifice, I would do everything in my power to make sure that my life was worth it. I would be a great person, try to cure cancer, anything to show the father that he might have made the right decision.
In this Easter season, my mind often goes to the sacrifice that the Father made- watching as His Son was ridiculed, spit on, beaten, and murdered. And more than anything else, this realization makes me want to live my life so that the Father doesn't think he made a mistake by paying such a high price so that I may one day live.
Easter should be a celebration, but I can't help but think that it should also serve to keep us accountable for our actions.
