Prayer:
Lord Jesus, work in us the miracle of being solely in tune with you. Keep us from self centeredness, direct us to our neighbor. Amen.
Bible Reading:
Philippians 1:19-26
Silence:
One to two minutes
Reflection:
Most of us, if given the opportunity to live or die, would choose to live, at least most days. The choice seems quite obvious – it is far better to live than to die, right? In fact, the choice is a matter of law – no suicide allowed – it is illegal, you must as a matter of law, choose life. Even death insurance has as a rule, you have to choose to live as long as you can or you (really your beneficiaries) can’t collect the money. So what do you make of St. Paul here, “I am hard pressed between the two (that is, living or dying)”? Was he having a bad day, a little too much suffering, maybe a severe bout with depression? He indeed, given all the circumstances of his life, would choice to die and being with Christ, for, as he says, “that is far better”. Is this biblical proof text for suicide? By no means! It is an invitation to reflect on just why you live and breathe, why is it that you are given the opportunity to fill your lungs with air, why it is that you have in your hands this gift of life. The purpose of our lives is to serve the neighbor.
Action – Repentance and Creation:
Look at your life honestly. How much evidence is there that your life is valuable because you serve your neighbor? What other value is there anyway?