How does one intend to leave
this world, to shake off the mortal coil aside, as they say?
As an infirm man, having
difficulties caring for oneself? Utterly
broken down and bereft of much value as a functioning human entity?
Or as a man still up to the manifold
challenges with the arduous tasks of living?
With plenty of value and usefulness as a human being. A productive and contributing member of
society, rather than a burden. With still a storehouse of value to offer, and still
able to do good.
When one trades a temporal
thing for another, do we bring a completely rundown thing with the earnest hope
of getting something with incomparable value in return? Or do we present something that is still
essentially valuable and desirable? And
thus be somewhat worthy of the trade.
I do believe we like to bring
to the table something of value in exchange.
A still serviceable human life in exchange for eternity.
Not an almost moribund being with only a slight glimmer of life left, breathing
hard and grudgingly desiring release from the onerous vicissitudes of simply
living. Where nothing much else is left
to live for. Where continued living
itself has become the burden.
Thus, taking the role of a smart
and logical negotiator of our destiny, we ask ourselves this question when we
consider our demise.
I say let us bring before the
Lord a life still filled with promises and hope, and workable usefulness, in
exchange for the incomparable life of eternity.
In other words, value for value.
Temporal value for eternal value.
The value of human life is
derived mainly in its sense of integrity and purpose. And yes, including in its capacity to partake of temporal
pleasures and worldly enjoyment. All human life is assigned similar value,
differentiated and categorized only by the purposes for which it is lived.
If the human life is simply a
hollow shell of what it was before, then it has very greatly diminished temporal
value.
While all this may seem
logical and understandable, others could opine that the analysis is not
tenable.
The human life that is being
traded for eternity is not the physical entity one sees, one that has been
ravaged by time and elements. It is what
that shell of a life represents. The
spiritual treasures it has accumulated and stored during the sojourn we call
life.
While the life may be spent,
the treasures gathered endure and hold value.
And that is what will be measured in the momentous barter exchange to be
made, in the journey from time to eternity.
