Life is Precious

Today, I was on a walk along the lake. At Fargo Beach, the waves were whipping up against the rocks. No sun to glorify them. At Howard Beach I saw a couple throwing a ball for their dog and another man whose dog really wanted to join in. His son was enjoying running a stick along the fence. Then I walked by an older dog with two people standing in a driveway. As I thought about that dog, my thought was "Life is Precious." Except, it wasn't my thought - it was like someone was teaching me. I was overwhelmed by gratitude that I felt that way.

I am not known for feeling that way. Yet I am grateful that I right now have the privilege of time to reflect. Time to write and study. Time to edit my presentation on Hypatia and time to learn more. I have not always been so grateful - in fact, I'm often rather fearful. But today, this evening, sitting here with my husband and listening to the rain, I am grateful.

And I think that everyone deserves to feel that way. I know there are people who are trying to stay dry in that rain. They will head for bridges and hope there is no flood. They will hope that the police will leave them in peace. There are so many people for whom life is precious, yes, but more difficult than it has to be.

There are people for whom life is cheap. Especially here in Chicago. While I am lucky enough to live on the North side, I live in a neighborhood that sees a shooting about once a month, some of them fatal. Life is cheap here. For people who have no hope for a future, who can see no way to a better future, life is cheap.

And Christ says no to that. For Christ, life, human life was and is precious. He came and healed people, listened to their problems, and tried to show us a better way to live. But it is hard to see the hope that Christianity offers. We are called to believe in the future promise of an earthly paradise and do what we can to make that happen. But life was just sucky when Christ was here. It was pretty sucky in Abraham's time too. And yet, they had hope. They saw the future promise and gave their life to it.

This is not optimism but faith. I have little of this kind of faith. I pay too much credence to what I see with my eyes and read in the news to have that kind of faith. But I try. And I think recognizing that Life is Precious - not just my life but everyone's life - is a good step on the way.