Unselfishness
Story★★★Many heart-rending stories came to us from the war but some heartening ones, too. One of the sweetest was brought from the trenches of Gallipoli (World War I) by a chaplain. It will be recalled that the serious matter at Gallipoli was the shortage of water. And as narrated by Canon Burroughs, a certain officer met this chaplain in the rear trenches and said to him, “Padre, have you any water in your canteen?
If you have, there are forty poor fellows over there badly wounded and crying for a drink.” ‘The Padre found the little group of sufferers, and fortunately his canteen was full. He went to the first and said, “Here, my boy, drink, but remember there are thirty-nine others.”
So on he went from lad to lad right along the line, and, ‘Would you believe it,” he said, ‘‘but it was the last lad 428 NEW SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS ~ that got the most water.” If the church could only catch that spirit how glorious she would be!—Malcolm J. Mac- Leod.
The point
In the trenches of Gallipoli, a chaplain gives water to forty wounded soldiers one at a time, and the last man ironically receives the most—a picture of selfless love.