Thought for Today

Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.  

Isaiah 1:31 The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them.  

John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  

I recently encountered a phase I have heard previously, ‘the sanctity of life.’ “The sanctity of life is the belief that human life is sacred and has inherent value. It implies that every person, created in God’s image, deserves respect, dignity, and protection at all stages of life. This principle is rooted in various belief systems, notably within Christianity.” (https://biblicalpathway.com)

Is that quotation correct? Watching television, reading newspapers, watching how we treat each other all call into question whether or not God’s children believe human life is sacred and has inherent value. Last evening the television news program we watched noted that in our country this year we have averaged more than 1 mass shooting event each day. Admittedly, we have now defined a ‘mass shooting’ as “an event in which one or more individuals are ‘actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Implicit in this definition is the shooter’s use of a firearm.’” (www.britannica.com) The fact that we have a generally accepted definition of ‘mass shooting’ calls into question our beliefs about the sanctity of life.

I wonder this morning whether or not a part of the issue we now confront is our estrangement as a society from the author of life itself. Have we forgotten the truth of what our earliest ancestors-in-the-faith understood? In Genesis we find human life defined as the breath of God. God literally “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

Interestingly, in both Hebrew and Greek the word used for breath carries other meanings. In Greek, πνοὴ (pnoah) means wind or breath. It is closely related to the word πνεῦμά (pneuma) meaning wind, breath, spirit. The Hebrew ruach has a similar range of meaning. Our ancestors-in-the-faith understood that the wind we feel blowing on our faces, the breath we breathe, and our own personal spirit are all related to the God who created Creation.

Modern medical science has learned much about our human bodies and our minds. We now know that our brains contain neurons. “Neurons are specialized cells in the brain that transmit information through electrical and chemical signals, playing a crucial role in all brain functions.” (Copilot search) Is human life merely the transmittal of electrical and chemical signals driving our autonomous nervous system?

Reducing life to electrical and chemical signals does de-sanctify life, If life is the result of random signal generation, God is taken out of our considerations. There are no eternal consequences because there is no Eternity. Have we all watched too many Frankenstein movies, seen too many lightning bolts ‘animate’ a random collection of body parts?

I cannot presume to suggest that I have the complete answer to why we are averaging more than 1 mass shooting per day. I do not believe it is the inevitable result of too many Hollywood movies or too many television shows. I do not believe the answer lies in violent electronic games or in the ownership of firearms.

The answer to our disrespect for God’s gift of life must begin with our losing sight of the lesson of Cain and Abel. Have we lost the biblical irony of Cain’s assumption that killing Abel would make his sacrifice acceptable to God? In that story in Genesis, Cain asks, “4:9 am I my brother's keeper?" In scripture, God does not answer directly. God does not tell Cain, “Obviously!” Instead, God points out to Cain that the very ground calls out, “4:10 Listen; your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!”  

Life is a gift from our Creator God. Jesus’ life was offered as “the light of all people.” We need to recapture the reality that mistreating God’s gift has eternal consequences for us all. We need to teach our children and each other God’s commandment, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

Stay safe, honor life, trust God,

Pastor Ray