Dropping In: Experience The Life You Were Meant To LiveSample

No Greater Love – Friendship

On July 19, 2015, I woke to dozens of text messages. “Shane, did you see the Fanning/Wilson heat?” “Are you watching this?” With my heart beating a mile a minute, I jumped online to see what was happening. 

I couldn’t believe it. With the world watching, one of my favorite professional surfers from Australia had been attacked by a great white shark. 

At a World Surf League competition in South Africa, both Julian Wilson and Mick Fanning had surfed their way into the finals. As the horn rang, signaling the beginning of the final, Julian Wilson caught a wave and rode it down the point. As Fanning looked for his first wave, the unthinkable happened—he was attacked by a Great White shark. 

The scene, though lasting only seconds, felt like a lifetime as I watched over and over (accounting for some of its 30 million views on YouTube). Fanning is thrown off his surfboard, disappears underwater, emerges seconds later, and is punched in the face by the shark’s tail. As another wave approaches, Fanning swims without his surfboard, helplessly treading water, with the world wondering when the shark would strike again. 

Miraculously, Fanning’s life was spared.  

What captivates me most is how Wilson reacted when Fanning was attacked. I have a picture of how Wilson responds when Fanning is dragged underwater. In the middle of the chaos, Wilson paddles straight toward the shark. 

Yes, you read that correctly. Wilson did not paddle away from the shark. He paddled toward it. 

What would you do if you saw a great white attack someone a hundred or so yards from you? 

Think about it. 

Instead of thinking of himself, Wilson swims to deeper water. He literally swam toward his friend, whom he thought was going to die. A reporter asked Wilson what he was thinking. Through tears, Julian said, “I thought I might be able to stab the shark with my surfboard.” 

Wilson was literally willing to give his life for his friend. 

The life of Jesus is marked by relationship. Jesus constantly spent time with his friends, teaching them, serving them, encouraging them, and loving them. The Bible is full of wisdom in the area of friendship. Be encouraged as you read of God's desire for us to pursue deep relationships!