Why Don't We See the Preciousness of Life?

Many of our Catholic columnists are devoting more space in their columns  drawing attention to the need for more concern on quality of life issues. The Desk Columnist in the Catholic Times did so by recounting the story of a college professor who held up a 100 dollar cashier's check before his class and asked who wants this?  Everybody raised a hand. He took the check and crumbled it in his hands and asked again. There was no change. He then threw it on the floor, trampled it repeatedly, and asked again. And again there was the same response. He said it was obvious that nothing he did took away from the value of the check.  He told the class the  same holds true for ourselves. It doesn't make any difference what happens to us, the person I am never loses value no matter what the circumstances of life have done to us. We are all very precious and no matter what others may think, we should never lose heart.

The news has made it clear the number of suicides are way too many. And the happiness index is also one of the lowest of the developed countries. Religious communities, in an effort to deal with this problem, are trying their best to promote a more positive approach to life.

The columnist explains how the writer of Genesis describes the creation of humans. In the creation of the other parts of creation it was with a command, but with humans it was with great care: God took the clay in his hands and breathed life into us, and said it was very good.  We are God's masterpieces. We are all unique existences, small universes. The order of the universe  is also part of the makeup of our bodies and spirit. God's spirit is within us.
With this in mind the columnist asks how are we living? Those that see life as a miracle live differently than those who do not see life in this way. The way we think changes the way we live. Those who have a positive vision and those who have a negative vision are divided in the way they live.

Is there anything  more important than to see life as a miracle? The things that we possess can add to life, but they are not what life  is all about. There is nothing as important as life.

When I am tired and overcome with difficulties who will comfort me? You have God and  your family and friends. We are precious  and this earth is a good place to be. Our happiness depends on the way we accept life. When we see our value, have faith in God, and do what he wants we will have more light to give.

This approach is certainly warranted and hopefully will have some effect, but at the same time we see that society has become more complicated than in the past. After the Korean War, there was an apparent material equality among the citizens. Liberty and the pursuit of happiness does bring about material inequality, which can only be controlled with a different way of seeing life.