“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” ~Romans 15:1
We all value our own lives. All we want is to be happy. To belong and be free. Kept away from the dark. It is pain to live, yet to be dead inside. We all fight for our own lives. And in this life, some people have it easier than others. It’s how this world works. Just as both good and bad people suffer, this world allows the unjust to fester. This world allows for sickness and pain. Even for those who are blessed more than others, life can still be burdensome. For those of you who don’t know, there was a young lady named Madison Holleran who attended the University of Pennsylvania. She was 19 years old when she committed suicide.
You see, Madison Holleran was a nationally-known track star who had a very bright future. That raises the question: Why would she end her own life? Her parents mentioned in an interview that now she was in college, things didn’t come as easy to her as it used to. There was more expected from her in track and field, and her grades were slipping. This is a common response for today. You may possibly relate to Madison’s hardships. Perhaps you remember a time in your life that things seemed to be easy, and now they’re not. I have news for you, that you may never reach that place in life where things were easy. I for one am sorry to tell you this. Don’t get me wrong, living one more day in this life is such a blessing. And it’s perfectly good to enjoy life. Life is like a diamond. Even when it’s broken and covered in mud, it’s still incredibly valuable. The lesson here is if you hold a broken diamond, don’t throw it away. Even in its brokenness, it’s still valuable. Again, I’m sorry that I am showing you the suffering of this world. It hurts to see this world as it is. But to know the truth sets you free. Understand how this world is and do something about it. Please take this as motivation to work for God’s will. This world is like the titanic. It’s sinking. And God’s mission right now is to put as many people as he can into lifeboats. May we be of aid to God’s will.
But let’s continue with the discussion of suicide. The number of people who commit suicide here in America each year are in the thousands. The number of people who self-harm is also in the thousands. Both are a tragic and sobering numbers. So what do we do with such? It’s important to understand the world that we live in. It’s easier to turn a blind eye and pretend everything is okay. But to do so is simply denying reality. Let us acknowledge the suffering of this world so that we can work to fix it. Let us band together as a Christian family to fight the injustice of this world. And may we find peace.
