Fearful events may stalk the world but life is worth living

From 1952 until 1957 Bishop Fulton Sheen hosted a popular primetime television show titled “Life is Worth Living.”

Bishop Sheen advocated a particular philosophy of life and living that was rooted in faith and common sense. He continually emphasized that, despite the challenges, life was always worth living. As we consider our world today and all its problems, some may begin to question whether life is truly worth living.

Fear, anxiety and hardship may cause us to begin to doubt.

From a Christian perspective, we believe Jesus came among us to bring life. He states that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus wants us to live a life full of purpose and meaning.

We know that there is evil in the world. This is what brings us the greatest grief and creates social unrest. We see this happening right now, especially south of our border. The coronavirus is also an evil because, it too, has the potential to ‘kill and destroy.’ We continue to feel its negative effects.

Evil ‘robs’ us of our peace and, like a thief, takes away our sense of security and creates fear. The ‘evil one’ is our enemy and wants us to believe that life is a burden rather than a joy.

Unfortunately, I am hearing a lot more fear when I am talking to others. It seems that, for some, the fear of dying is stopping them from living. Despite the presence of the coronavirus, we cannot give up on life.

The reports from some of our longterm care facilities have been deeply troubling. Residents are most vulnerable and it is natural to try to protect them. I know that some feel isolated and alone and are cut off from family. One resident told me she has to spend all of her time alone in her room and that “this is not living.”

I am sure that she is not the only one feeling this way. We need to be connected to others, especially with our family members. This is an essential part of living.

Christians believe Jesus when he states, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15)

Jesus is our shepherd and he knows us, loves us, and will never abandon us. We do not need to be afraid. This is also true regarding how we care for one another, especially the most vulnerable. To act like ‘a wolf’ or a ‘hired hand’ creates division and isolation. We cannot be so self-absorbed or fearful that we forget to help others, especially those most in need.

We can all agree that the world faces many challenges today. There is great anxiety as we look to an unknown future. From a faith perspective what is most important is that we do not allow fear to disturb our peace because then we will lose hope.

Jesus was willing to die so that we could have life. Be not afraid because ‘life is worth living.’