Dirk Taljaard

Reading from Scripture

Exodus 20:13

Do not commit murder.

Killing or murdering someone, means depriving someone else of the  opportunity to have a long and fulfilled life. It is, therefore, befitting to ask what the Bible has to say about life.

Life is something created by God at the very beginning. Something special given to mankind to use with the utmost responsibility. The Psalmist once compared living  to  praising God (139:14).  Elsewhere (6:5) he said that nobody can praise God in the world of the dead. It would be fair to say that the highest ideal for any human, as God’s image bearer, would be to live to His glory. This is why life is so precious.

This commandment demands a re-evaluation of life itself. Respect for it. For our own lives, as well as those of others. It’s not to be taken for granted. If you think about breathing: it is vitally important, yet you seldom remind yourself that it needs to be done. Life is short and frail, but can also be full and special – as God has meant it to be (John 10:10).

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). We have to look after it in a responsible manner. We have to take care of it, by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by following a healthy diet. We should take care not to harm our bodies in any way or fall prey to any form of addiction.

Everyone in the food industry should take special care that their produce is not manipulated in a way that it could prove harmful for human consumption. No-one’s health may be compromised in any way. The principle of demand and supply, profit and loss may never become more important than people.

Physicians and researchers are called upon to improve the overall wellness of people.

We should all be involved in improving the quality of life for everyone. We live in a world where there is a social and economic imbalance, and the gap between rich and poor is widening by the day. We could become part of a movement towards affording everyone the opportunity to access basic services. People should experience life and not see each day as a step closer to death.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of life. Amen.