Life's brevity and its value
Isn’t it interesting that some non-believers talk about “seizing the day” because that’s all there is and then they find pleasure in reminding us that their lives go on after their deaths in somebody’s genes or in the influence they’ll leave behind. I don’t find that offensive in the least nor do I find it surprising. I think that unless we’re very tired of living, due to illness or deep depression or some such thing, that the idea of dying, no more to be in touch with people we loved more than life—the idea of dying is a devastating sadness.
[It isn’t surprising that Plato’s discussion about life after death was grounded on the soon departure of someone they all loved—Socrates. Endless existence isn’t “life”. Where there’s no one to love there is no “life”.]
People want to live on. They would like to leave a fine legacy of decency and integrity behind when they go. Is this not a fine thing? But if it is a fine thing then the pursuit of moral excellence is nothing to be sneered at and what if the Christian faith is true when it says that what God is bringing us to is moral grandeur that will take more than a brief lifetime to gain? Non-believers that hold that moral goodness is praiseworthy will not sneer at such a Christian doctrine even if they don’t share the Christian’s claims about it. It is this hunger for a worthwhile life that leads non-believers to dismiss logic and cherish goodness and it’s this hunger for a worthwhile life that leads Christians to believe that they are being re-created in the image of Jesus Christ.
And it was this hunger for an ever-deepening relationship that led William Cowper to write to a beloved cousin of his. “There is not room enough for friendship to unfold itself in full bloom in such a nook of life as this. Therefore I am, and must, and will be, Yours for ever.” I’m not making that an argument at this point, though it becomes part of the fabric of the Story and gains corroborative weight because it integrates well into that Story. I only want to illustrate the different ways that a fine hunger expresses itself in people. Some are pleased that their lives go on by sweetening the existence of others—that’s no bad thing. I would just claim that that’s not all there is to it. I would say that it is a good thing to keep in mind (Christians say it all the time; live for others). But in light of Jesus Christ I would insist there are additional and more profound reasons to want life to go on beyond the brief time in this phase of things.
Princeton’s philosopher, Walter Kaufmann, was certain that if a man knew he was going to die at forty that he would live more intensely than if he thought he had endless time. I wouldn’t doubt that for a moment. But aren’t there underlying assumptions in all our views about life. Is living more intensely, seizing the moments more fervently, the big issue? What if a man was a degenerate, depraved in every way? Would his greed for ceaseless experience and his fever to stuff a million things into his brief life seem so heroic or pleasing to us? I think all talk about cramming life into life presupposes a life that’s admirable and honourable. But that’s just it, isn’t it? What is honourable and admirable?
I’m far from believing that all non-believers are immoral wretches. That’s just as false as can be. Though they won’t accept this claim (I’m speaking as a Christian), I believe that God works in their lives and shapes them well though they don’t know him in a relational way. He said to Cyrus, “You don’t acknowledge me but I’ve been at work in and through you to bring about a gracious purpose that one day all will see.” See Isaiah 45:1-4.
Is it the brevity of life that makes it valuable?
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