Life Mission
We have so much to live for, how could anyone want life to end?
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two:my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.- Philippians 1:21-24
In today's reading from his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us he believes it is better to have this life end so be could be with Christ.
He chooses to live so he could help those who would be followers.
He has a mission and needs to give this life up to it, but there is something wrong with this way of looking at life, isn't there?
Paul is neither, yet he gives us a unique perspective into the sentiment of one who has nothing left to live for.
We don't often look at our lives and ask, "What is keeping us here?" That is the kind of question I have encountered from the aged and dying.
It is one thing for someone who has lived a long life to say that, but what if the words come from a child?
You are so young, we say or think. You have so much to live for.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers. Most often the major cause is attributed to bullying and in Japan, the day of the year when the teen suicide rate is the highest is the first day of school, September 1st.
In India last week, thirty two farmers committed suicide, bringing the total for the year to 179. Drought and debt have been cited as the reasons of severe depression, and depression has been labeled as the cause.
The decision to end one's life does not come all at once. Dr Aziz Ahmed Qadri in India said a number of farmers have approached his hospital for treatment. They are asking for help.
We need to be aware of the many ways people ask for help, and we need to know what to do when they ask.
World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention have asked for September 10 to be observed as World Suicide Prevention Day.
Perhaps we could join in and light a candle at 8pm that day and place it in a window.
To those of us who have never considered an early exit from this life, suicide is a scary, unexplainable phenomenon. If we look to Paul for an answer, we see a simple one. If someone needs me, I need to be alive to help them.
Is that it? Do we need to instill in our youth an awareness of our need for them?
I think we need to believe in a life mission for everyone. We are more than our jobs; we are more than our classroom assignments and tests. We have a ministry and a mission here on earth, and we have to discover what it is.
Perhaps that is the mission of parents, teachers and clergy, to give a purpose to life beyond self. beyond what we do. We are God's children, and though He wants us to be with Him, He needs us to be alive and to do what we can to help each other life their lives fully.
More to come...