Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give away.”

On June 6, 2019, 95-year-old Commissioner Harry Read parachuted for the second time into Normandy, France. The last time he jumped out of an aircraft over France was as a 20-year-old wireless operator in the British Army’s Royal Corps of Signals at 12:30 a.m. on D-Day, June 6, 1944. History records that at the time of Harry’s landing in German-occupied France, 200 of his comrades had been killed before they could fire a single shot.

Just prior to his 2019 jump, Harry confessed, “It is a stupid thing to do at my age. Elderly men don’t do parachute jumps. However, there is a delight in jumping.” He concluded, “But I resonate more with the sacrifice than I do with the celebration. The sacrifice enabled the celebration to take place, of course. And I will think of my mates who died.”

Harry Read was born in 1929 into a Salvation Army family. Harry’s grandfather was converted under the ministry of James Dowdle, who was sent by then-General William Booth to the north of England to “win converts and open Mission Stations.” Upon completing his military service in 1947, Harry entered the Kings Messengers Session of Cadets at the International Training College in London.

As a Salvation Army officer (pastor), Harry served in several British corps (church) and divisional appointments as well as on staff at the International Training College, becoming its Principal from 1978-81. In 2019, Commissioner Harry was admitted to the Order of the Founder—The Salvation Army’s highest honor. In the presentation, General Brian Peddle stated that this was “in recognition of a life of outstanding Christian witness in word, verse and deed spanning 75 years, with a recent and relevant witness through social media, captivating a global audience with the authentic message of reconciliation, hope and peace.”

Reflecting on his experiences, Commissioner Harry challenged his fellow Salvationists: “I believe our name, The Salvation Army, is an inspired designation, born not of human wisdom but of the Holy Spirit. The armies of the world are massed against us but, though powerful, they will be overcome. Faith, hope and love are the abiding qualities, and they are not in the possession of the forces of evil.”

So What?

Are you willing to give away everything or are you one who gives sparingly? Are you making a living about what you can get or making a life by what you can give?