The news for August 7, 2013 published the results of a poll of Americans about the age to which they would like to live before they die. The most popular choice was ninety years. The visions of age, senility, dependence, physical appearance, marginality, weakness, health were presumed to be too threatening after nine decades of a life. There would be, in the light of the threat of debilitation, a sort-of politeness to the younger society to depart so as not to place too heavy burden on the younger generations in caring for those no longer able to contribute to the maintenance of society. Some of this short summary includes the public response to the publishing of the statistics. The whole story provides excuse for me to reveal my ideas on the context of life that makes the number of years a sub-division of our considerations about life.
As a member of a young generation I would likely have chosen eighty, and signed a contract with God for the terminal date. (Jesus noted 80 as an extra decade.) The contract details from God would not be lengthy, but they would include health and conduct that I would need to maintain if I were to receive the benefit of the decades. The physical (earthly) factors would include the application of the principle of moderation in virtually all of the factors of life – of consumption of food and drink, of labor and recreation, of self and others, of earth and faith, and so the story would be played out. God would remind me that he believes in long life, and remarks of the matter even in the attitudes of respect for life in self and others. Moses, at the point of death, told the Israelites to: Choose life! He was, of course, referring to human life, with the presumption of spiritual life as a continuance of life. The Scripture holds the implication that life is the evidence of God, and there are means for making it flourish in either or both the perception that once gained there is an eternal meaning and consciousness in it for human beings. Human life is related to order found in moderation, which relates to education, fulfillment, physical activity, relationships all found in the balance from the many legs that carry the possessor of life. Wherever there is special life, God is there.
There is the spiritual factor that well relates to the physical. The first commandment of God, with promise, is that the person respect mother and father. The promise for that is long life. Even the secularist knowing the value of a faith dimension to the healthy life advises meditation or some extra-physical factor to healthy and long life. The spiritual side of mankind (self-conscious life) demands some sort of attention, but there are those who are offended with the thought of God, with the thought that there is nothing higher than the nature of mankind that may be found somewhere even in themselves. They make up substitutes to meet the need. Since it is all done in the human context, many can make it work for the current experience. It doesn’t have the carrying power to take it over to any after-death experience. It may not promise life.
Society may miss it. When I was young the government recognized that people lived to about seventy years; that families were weakening in the management of generations; and, for these and other concerns the Social Security program was introduced. Today the program is in trouble, the elders are criticized as a burden on society, and some tension divides generations. Had the program been developed as a means for helping casual citizens to save for their old age so made an investment program rather than a tax, the current situation would likely be the program adopted generally by advanced nations. Elders have left the new generations an infra-structure that pays their current way. They deserve better perceptions of their value to the ongoing of life and society – especially that relating to prayer. Persons should live as long as they are given, early or late; ought to relate to a family either their own or another offering participation; find prayer interests that lift society; and, enjoy the sunset. Most persons have a feeling when they are ready and ought to die, and leave it there. I want to live as long as I can take care of myself. I am unafraid. At this writing I am some years past my ninetieth birthday. I have clear plans in a writing project to students of Christian formation. I am closely involved with a great-grandson in a career with some Christian orientation. He invited me into his life. He will inherit anything from me he wants to own when he launches professionally. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020