The Value Of Life

Posted Saturday, August 28, 2010

I wanted to take a break from the leadership series to blog about an experience I had on Aug 21^st. I have waited a few days in order to try to collect my thoughts about what happened.

 

Once you read this blog, forward it to someone. I would like to make this story viral. Sorry this is so long, but bear with me. I think you will find it worth the read.

 

On Saturday evening August 21^st my wife and I, along with our two children, were walking down the streets of San Antonio, TX on our way to a meal with several church leaders. We only had 9 blocks to walk, but for some reason we decided to veer off the normal path in order to walk along the River Walk for a block or two.

 

About 40 seconds after descending down the stairs to the walkway below we noticed a very thin, poorly dressed man inching his way into the water on the other side of the River Walk. It was obvious, even from where we were standing, that he very intoxicated and more than likely one of the many homeless men that walked the streets of San Antonio. I grabbed my wife by the arm and told her we better not leave just yet. I was certain that he was not going to be able to make it across the channel.

 

A crowd began to develop rather quickly to watch this poor man struggle to keep his head above water. I was certain that a few of them had pulled out their phones to either take a picture or video his death. After watching him for several excruciating seconds he went down for the last time. I had already taken off my shoes and handed my wife my iPhone and glasses and prepared myself to dive in and rescue him. One man even hollered at me, “Aren’t you going to save him?” I wish I could say that I was super spiritual and let that roll off my back, but I was a little ticked that no one else was preparing to help him. I didn’t really want to get all wet. I was an hour away from any dry clothes and I was going to a meeting with church leaders.

 

However, without too much thought I dove in and did my best to find him under the murky river water. Fortunately I took lifeguard training when I was a teenager and that training instinctively kicked in. I grabbed the man across the chest and started to swim towards the walkway. While I was struggling to get the man to shore, my wife was scolding the men standing around watching. “I can’t pull him up on my own, some of you are going to have to help!” she shouted. Within a few seconds I reached the side of the retaining wall as several bystanders grabbed both of us and helped us out. I tell you this story, not because I want a pat on the back, but because of what happened once we were on dry ground and safe from harm.

 

The crowd pressed in to see if the homeless man, we will call him “John”, was alright. Once they realized he was breathing and safe the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had gathered.  Several of the men who had witnessed the whole event came up to me and shook my hand and stated with a tone of surprise, “I can’t believe you did that! Way to go!” The constant encouragement from those who saw the whole incident frustrated me. Seriously, why all the fuss? Isn’t this what people are supposed to do? Isn’t this what we do for fellow human beings who are in need? In fact, I don’t count what I did extraordinary at all. I count it ordinary!

 

Here is where the real sorrow set in for me. When the local police arrived, they took one look at the man and said, “Oh, it’s just John. What kind of trouble are you causing now?” Later, after we were finished eating, we walked by the sub-station and asked an officer if John was okay. His response was both shocking and disappointing. “Are you the one who saved him?” he asked. “Yes, that was me” I responded. “Thanks a lot” he sarcastically shot back. As we walked away from the conversation one of my daughters said, “Dad, did they want you to let him die? Would they have been happier if you hadn’t saved him?” Her question made me cringe. “Some people just don’t see value in a person like that” I said.

 

Listen, don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to make those officers out to be monsters. I am very thankful for their service. They, and others like them, tirelessly and thanklessly serve our cities everyday. The problem isn’t with the police of San Antonio, it goes much deeper than that. It’s a cultural problem, a sin problem.

 

The attitude those officers displayed that night is not a sentiment particular to them. What is that sentiment? Simply this: If you have nothing of value to offer society, you have no value at all. If you can’t do anything to make life better for the whole, if all you do is take, you have little to no value compared to those who can and do. It seems as though we live in a society that has a very skewed view of the value of life. Our new health care system places value on the young and strong. Our laws allow for the termination of an unborn child, and euthanasia laws are just a decade away, if that long.

 

The difficulty for me is that this sentiment exists, not only in our culture, but that it exists within the walls of the Church as well. “God helps those who help themselves!” (1 Society 2:11) is a favorite pseudo scripture often quoted by those who call themselves, “Christian”. Sometimes we cloak this sentiment in punitive phrases, “He made his bed, now let him lie in it!” (2 Opinions 1:3)

 

Here is the question: What is the value of a life? How should we attribute value to a person? By what he/she can do for us, for society, for the church? How are we to determine the value of a homeless drunk like John?

 

In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us create them in our image.” Later in verse 31 God looked at what he created and said, “It is very good!” God answers the question for us. Human value is not based on our contribution to society but bestowed on us from the maker. He created us in his image and said, “It is very good.” Because we are all created in His image, we all hold equal value. No one holds greater value than another in the eyes of God. Just because I am a preacher, and have been so for over 24 years, doesn’t mean I hold greater value to God than the bum on the street.

 

I know some of you reading this want to fight back and say, “Yeah but…” Unfortunately, there is no “BUT” Rom 3:23 “We have all sinned and fallen short…” and Eph 2:8-9 “It is by grace you were saved, not of yourselves, so that no man can boast.” Make is painfully clear that we are all in the same boat. And yet, while we were still in the filth of our life, He saved us! (Rom 5:8)

 

If that is true, then how should we now act? As a Christ follower, my response is simple. Love God with all my heart and in doing so, love others as myself. Treat everyone as Christ treated me. He rescued me, a filthy, stained, reprobate from drowning in my sin. My natural response to God is thankfulness. My natural response to society is mercy. “He has shown you, Oh man, what is good. What does the Lord require of us? Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8

 

God has called us to go to the least, the marginalized, outcast, "widows and ophans" and minister to them. They are near to the heart of God. We must do a better job of looking at and treating all people with the dignity and honr they deserve. Natalie Grant puts it best in her song HUMAN.

 

Every life has a choice
To rise up to fill the void
Every heart has a mission
And we are called to be human

We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One life that we've been given

A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
It'll be what makes us human
I'm human, you're human, we are human

We are marked with His image
And we are scarred with indifference
Maybe now we should listen
Hear the cry of God's children

 

What do you think? What is the value of a human life?

I wanted to take a break from the leadership series to blog about an experience I had on Aug 21^st. I have waited a few days in order to try to collect my thoughts about what happened.

 

Once you read this blog, forward it to someone. I would like to make this story viral. Sorry this is so long, but bear with me. I think you will find it worth the read.

 

On Saturday evening August 21^st my wife and I, along with our two children, were walking down the streets of San Antonio, TX on our way to a meal with several church leaders. We only had 9 blocks to walk, but for some reason we decided to veer off the normal path in order to walk along the River Walk for a block or two.

 

About 40 seconds after descending down the stairs to the walkway below we noticed a very thin, poorly dressed man inching his way into the water on the other side of the River Walk. It was obvious, even from where we were standing, that he very intoxicated and more than likely one of the many homeless men that walked the streets of San Antonio. I grabbed my wife by the arm and told her we better not leave just yet. I was certain that he was not going to be able to make it across the channel.

 

A crowd began to develop rather quickly to watch this poor man struggle to keep his head above water. I was certain that a few of them had pulled out their phones to either take a picture or video his death. After watching him for several excruciating seconds he went down for the last time. I had already taken off my shoes and handed my wife my iPhone and glasses and prepared myself to dive in and rescue him. One man even hollered at me, “Aren’t you going to save him?” I wish I could say that I was super spiritual and let that roll off my back, but I was a little ticked that no one else was preparing to help him. I didn’t really want to get all wet. I was an hour away from any dry clothes and I was going to a meeting with church leaders.

 

However, without too much thought I dove in and did my best to find him under the murky river water. Fortunately I took lifeguard training when I was a teenager and that training instinctively kicked in. I grabbed the man across the chest and started to swim towards the walkway. While I was struggling to get the man to shore, my wife was scolding the men standing around watching. “I can’t pull him up on my own, some of you are going to have to help!” she shouted. Within a few seconds I reached the side of the retaining wall as several bystanders grabbed both of us and helped us out. I tell you this story, not because I want a pat on the back, but because of what happened once we were on dry ground and safe from harm.

 

The crowd pressed in to see if the homeless man, we will call him “John”, was alright. Once they realized he was breathing and safe the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had gathered.  Several of the men who had witnessed the whole event came up to me and shook my hand and stated with a tone of surprise, “I can’t believe you did that! Way to go!” The constant encouragement from those who saw the whole incident frustrated me. Seriously, why all the fuss? Isn’t this what people are supposed to do? Isn’t this what we do for fellow human beings who are in need? In fact, I don’t count what I did extraordinary at all. I count it ordinary!

 

Here is where the real sorrow set in for me. When the local police arrived, they took one look at the man and said, “Oh, it’s just John. What kind of trouble are you causing now?” Later, after we were finished eating, we walked by the sub-station and asked an officer if John was okay. His response was both shocking and disappointing. “Are you the one who saved him?” he asked. “Yes, that was me” I responded. “Thanks a lot” he sarcastically shot back. As we walked away from the conversation one of my daughters said, “Dad, did they want you to let him die? Would they have been happier if you hadn’t saved him?” Her question made me cringe. “Some people just don’t see value in a person like that” I said.

 

Listen, don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to make those officers out to be monsters. I am very thankful for their service. They, and others like them, tirelessly and thanklessly serve our cities everyday. The problem isn’t with the police of San Antonio, it goes much deeper than that. It’s a cultural problem, a sin problem.

 

The attitude those officers displayed that night is not a sentiment particular to them. What is that sentiment? Simply this: If you have nothing of value to offer society, you have no value at all. If you can’t do anything to make life better for the whole, if all you do is take, you have little to no value compared to those who can and do. It seems as though we live in a society that has a very skewed view of the value of life. Our new health care system places value on the young and strong. Our laws allow for the termination of an unborn child, and euthanasia laws are just a decade away, if that long.

 

The difficulty for me is that this sentiment exists, not only in our culture, but that it exists within the walls of the Church as well. “God helps those who help themselves!” (1 Society 2:11) is a favorite pseudo scripture often quoted by those who call themselves, “Christian”. Sometimes we cloak this sentiment in punitive phrases, “He made his bed, now let him lie in it!” (2 Opinions 1:3)

 

Here is the question: What is the value of a life? How should we attribute value to a person? By what he/she can do for us, for society, for the church? How are we to determine the value of a homeless drunk like John?

 

In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us create them in our image.” Later in verse 31 God looked at what he created and said, “It is very good!” God answers the question for us. Human value is not based on our contribution to society but bestowed on us from the maker. He created us in his image and said, “It is very good.” Because we are all created in His image, we all hold equal value. No one holds greater value than another in the eyes of God. Just because I am a preacher, and have been so for over 24 years, doesn’t mean I hold greater value to God than the bum on the street.

 

I know some of you reading this want to fight back and say, “Yeah but…” Unfortunately, there is no “BUT” Rom 3:23 “We have all sinned and fallen short…” and Eph 2:8-9 “It is by grace you were saved, not of yourselves, so that no man can boast.” Make is painfully clear that we are all in the same boat. And yet, while we were still in the filth of our life, He saved us! (Rom 5:8)

 

If that is true, then how should we now act? As a Christ follower, my response is simple. Love God with all my heart and in doing so, love others as myself. Treat everyone as Christ treated me. He rescued me, a filthy, stained, reprobate from drowning in my sin. My natural response to God is thankfulness. My natural response to society is mercy. “He has shown you, Oh man, what is good. What does the Lord require of us? Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8

 

God has called us to go to the least, the marginalized, outcast, "widows and ophans" and minister to them. They are near to the heart of God. We must do a better job of looking at and treating all people with the dignity and honr they deserve. Natalie Grant puts it best in her song HUMAN.

 

Every life has a choice
To rise up to fill the void
Every heart has a mission
And we are called to be human

We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One chance to make a difference
We gotta do better than this 'cause we only got
One life that we've been given

A little love, a little kindness
A little light in this time of darkness
It'll be what makes us different
It'll be what makes us human
I'm human, you're human, we are human

We are marked with His image
And we are scarred with indifference
Maybe now we should listen
Hear the cry of God's children

 

What do you think? What is the value of a human life?