When God created us, He placed control over the whole world into our
hands. He gave us the power to rule over all of nature, including animals,
birds and every other living creature. But the most valuable gift He
provided us with was the ability to feel compassion and take responsible
actions. Thanks to this advantage over all other species, we can make
a difference in this decaying world.
Actually, the difference begins with the birth of every precious human.
Just because he is an individual, he changes the world. With each birth,
life throughout the universe becomes more vital, and with each death, it
becomes weaker. Indeed, each birth can be compared to adding another
piece of stone to this enormous mountain called the universe. What
a small stone means to the mountain, a person means to the whole of
humankind. Even though they both are hardly noticeable, their merit is
significant. So, what can the significance of a stone be? A seemingly
worthless stone may save the life of mountaineer whose foot suddenly
slides. In panic, he grabs the stone and thus escapes a gruesome death.
It is hard to believe that one single stone can save him from the split
second of fatality approaching. The fact is that the mountaineer would
be dead now if that stone were not there. Therefore, each stone is
valuable for the whole world.
Comparing such a stone to any human being, the life of one single
person is extremely important for the survival of humankind. His life, as
well as his deeds, affects the universe through his interelatedness with all
of humanity. As a result, the destiny of the earth depends on our
existence. This idea always pervades my mind whenever I read,
"Meditation XVII," by John Donne, a...