May We Be Grateful For All The Lives Taken
What do you think is the absolute worst crime you can commit as a human being? I would venture to guess that killing is probably on the top of the list for most people. I’ve written several times about recognizing our own capacity for brutality, but I’ve always stopped short of calling us all murderers. Well, I’m here to do it now. We’ve all taken lives. No, not just one life. Many, many lives. On a daily basis. And with a complete lack of remorse.
This is a topic that is extremely complex and difficult to write about. But I think it’s time to take a deep dive into the questions of life and our violence. It’s time to ask ourselves, are we truly as innocent as we would like to believe?
How Many Lives Have We Really Taken?
No, I’ve never personally taken a human life, and the majority of you reading this most likely hasn’t either. But if I lined up all the living things that died for me up until now, I’m sure they’ll reach the moon and back. Probably even multiple times.
The most obvious in this morbid line are the fish and animals that I’ve consumed ever since I became a fertilized egg inside my mother’s womb. Let’s add to the list the number of insects I’ve swatted, plus the microscopic lives we kill in the name of hygiene. Those mold sprays and hand sanitizers are chemical warfare from the perspective on the other side. Unfortunately, I’m not done counting yet. There are also studies that indicate plants are sentient beings with feelings. Sorry vegetarians, but you are not off the hook. So, if you pull up a live plant from the roots, you’re killing it. Those carrots I’ve eaten and the weeds I’ve pulled out in the garden gets added to the line. Plants also come in all sizes. Trees gave up their lives for the sake of my home and furniture, as well as all the paper I’ve used.
When you add up all those lives together, it’s a lot harder to see myself with rose colored glasses. My life is built upon the shoulders of countless lives. Do I really have a right to pretend like I’m innocent just because I’ve never taken a human life? Is a human life THAT much more important than the lives of other plants and animals?
Before You Get Consumed by Guilt…
Ok, I know. It’s a lot to take in, and you’re probably feeling pretty bad about yourself just about now. But like I said in my previous posts, I’m writing the Month of Mays to help you see the world from a different perspective, and to bring you closer to Oneness. And I assure you, guilt is not necessary here.
You are feeling guilty because you see yourself removed from the circle of life. You may be responsible for multiple deaths, but you are also responsible for multiple lives. Right now, right this moment, you are home to trillions of microbes. Generations of gut bacteria owe their lives to you. If that idea is not that thrilling, how about this? Each time we breathe out, we create CO2 needed by the plants around us. Our lives are dependent on others because we are part of the whole. We’re not only taking lives, but giving life.
Death is not as terrible a thing as we human beings have made it out to be. Mother Nature herself uses death to create and sustain the lives upon her. Death brings life to another in an endless circle, generation after generation. And for those living in pain, death is a mercy. It’s a fail-safe button to ensure that no one suffers for eternity. Of course, I do not advocate killing needlessly. But I think it’s about time we start acknowledging that death also enriches our lives. We grow emotionally and spiritually when we lose someone near and dear.
Death is inevitable. When a death does occur, I think it’s better to appreciate the gifts they’ve brought into our lives rather than focus on the tragic moment of death itself.