“Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do: say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good.” (1 Peter 3:10 MSG)
As the pandemic tides continue to wash over the world, my family has made peace with the new normal. My husband, a physician, goes to work at the hospital. Other than this essential work, we have been sheltering in place for the last four months. There was a period of grief and loss while I reevaluated my previous habits and lifestyle. I miss hugging my friends, group runs, browsing at the library, and picking out my own groceries. Many of the activities that filled my life with pleasure, amusement, and excitement now seem outdated. However, not everyone feels this way. There are many who long for the ‘before times’--when we could eat in restaurants, travel, shop, gather in our homes with friends and extended family, and congregate in stadiums. We have difficulty imagining that a life devoid of these activities can be worth living. This has led me to contemplate the following question:
What makes life worth living?
From a materialistic point of view, a successful life is filled with achievements, wealth, power, status, influence, popularity, accumulation of possessions, attractive appearance, and others to validate our significance. From a spiritual perspective, a worthwhile life is one that snubs evil and cultivates good. This requires a great deal of contemplation. Materialism is like an invasive weed that chokes out spiritual growth. It leaves very little soil for nourishing our inner being. Is life worth living if we experience every pleasure this world has to offer while our souls wither away?
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