So said Gretchen Jackson yesterday. She and her husband were the owners of Barbaro, the most famous and beloved racehorse in recent memory. By now you know that the horse lost his fight to recover from the shattered leg he sustained in the Preakness, and was euthanized yesterday. But not before his story captivated people the world over.

Today's New York Times reminds us of Barbaro's amazing story. The Kentucky Derby winner was a heavy favorite to capture the Triple Crown before tragedy struck. He would have been the first in 28 years to win all three of America's premiere horseracing events. After his accident last May 20 at the Preakness, the horse endured months of surgery and rehabilitation. At times it seemed that his recovery was progressing well. But in recent days, disease further crippled the horse. His owners made the painful decision to end their battle, and Barbaro was put to sleep at 10:30 Monday morning.

Cards, letters, messages and even holy water had been showered on the horse in recent months. Fruit baskets filled with green apples and carrots, elaborate flower arrangements, and get-well cards arrived by the truckload. More than $1.2 million in donations have been made to the hospital providing the horse's care. 15,000 people an hour visited an online message board. Why? Barbaro's doctor perhaps wrote the horse's epitaph: "People love greatness. People love the story of his bravery."

A fallen hero is always a captivating and motivating memory. John F. Kennedy's assassination still draws visitors every day to the "grassy knoll" here in Dallas. When my family lived in Atlanta we often visited Civil War battlefields and were touched by the poignant emotions of the scene. When President Makarios of Cyprus died, his followers spray-painted buildings with the words, "Makarios lives!" Many in Cuba and Latin America are disciples of the long-dead Che Guevara, and often claim, "Che lives!"

By contrast, Jesus of Nazareth is alive today. Not just as an idea or figure of history, but as a living Person. His death was the great tragedy of human history; his resurrection our great miracle. And because he lives, all who trust him as Lord will live as well.

Now he is ready to speak to your mind and heart this morning, to guide your steps this day. Today's reading from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest contains this claim: "Nothing touches our lives but it is God Himself speaking. Do we discern His hand or only mere occurrence? Get into the habit of saying, 'Speak, Lord,' and life will become a romance." Have you heard his living voice yet today?

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