CHRISTIANS, OF ALL PEOPLE, SHOULD CARE ABOUT LIFE.
The very people who worship the One who described himself as the “Way and the Truth,” perhaps too often forget that he is also “the Life.”
This take on John 14:6 would certainly include animals, the environment, and even insects—although I’m unsure about mosquitos, ticks, and gnats. Although I can’t go as far as Albert Schweitzer, killing anything gives me pause.
Defending a comprehensive concern for all life from this reading of John 14:6 alone, however, is problematic: The meaning of “I am the life” in context is the same as “I am the resurrection and the life” in John 11:25. In both these instances, the focus is primarily on eternal life and Jesus’ power over death—not animals, the environment, and insects.
Here is a better option for connecting a comprehensive concern for life with Christ: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16, ESV). In this passage, Jesus is rightfully seen as the giver and creator of “all things” including life. Further, since the beginning, human life is of special concern, as is anything related to its’ flourishing. This is rooted in the Imago Dei—Latin for the image of God. Here is the granddaddy of all passages related to this:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and then let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of god he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:26-27, NRSV)
Although later posts will explore the imago dei in more depth, suffice it to say now that being created in the image of God means that human life is sacred and that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” to be “covenant partners” with God. The “covenant” part of this phrase is about relationships and comes from the “Let us,” “them,” and “male and female” part of the passage above. The “partners” part of the phrase is related to “have dominion.” Further, in “covenant partners,” “covenant” comes before “partners.” This means that, in life, relationship is more important than task:
“The story that is the Sacred Romance begins not with God alone, the Author at his desk, but God in relationship, intimacy beyond our wildest imagination, heroic intimacy. The Trinity is at the center of the universe; perfect relationship is the heart of all reality.”[1]
God and eternal life aside, and thinking only of cherished connections on planet earth, Abraham Lincoln got it right when he said, “The better part of a man’s life consists of his friendships.” Living is about intimacy, “knowing and being known.” Regina Spektor captured the experience well in her song, “The Visit”:
I’m so glad that you stopped by
And I will not ask you why
It’s just good to see you
You always make me smile
And you always make me sigh
Life is a big umbrella that encompasses many things. It’s about work, serving, and survival—doing what is “in our hands”—the “partner” part of the “covenant partner” definition above. It’s about opportunities, making a difference, testing our limits, learning and growing. And, although many of us forget this, life’s also about rest—sleep, play, relaxation, enjoying, and being captivated by beauty.
These are all positive things for the most part, but life is definitely a mix of pleasure and pain. Death, disease, and a lot of other painful experiences that can make any thinking person despair and, at times, ask “Where is God?” or “What’s the point?” I hope to write about these and other questions honestly. For now, I will simply close with my favorite Bible passage about life on planet Earth—what the book of Ecclesiastes refers to as life “under the sun:”
“Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain [fleeting] life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the place of the dead], to which you are going.” (Eccl. 9:7-10, ESV)
[1] Brent Curtis and John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance (Nashville: Nelson, 1997), 73.
