By Susan Ciancio
It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget that we all have blessings to offer the world. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we have nothing to offer anyone—that we are so inconsequential that no one could possibly love us or value anything we do, that we lack any ability to make a difference, or that we don’t have enough money or resources to effect change in society.
But we have to take a step back and realize that that’s the culture of death talking. Its insidiousness seeps into our thought process through social media, through TV, through songs, and through movies. Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded by a culture that tells people that it’s okay to do whatever we feel like doing—even if that hurts others. It’s okay to kill a baby before he’s born. It’s okay to bully and make fun of that disabled person on social media because he’s “different.” It’s okay to end your life if you’re suffering. It’s okay to threaten someone who holds a different political view than you do.
But God—and the culture of life—teaches us otherwise. Our Lord and the Church teach that, because we are all made in the image and likeness of God, we all have something to contribute, and we are all valued. Not only are we valued, but we must value others. We must never take anyone for granted.
Seeing the value in others starts with seeing the value in ourselves. If we don’t understand that God made us for a reason, we will never understand that He made others for a different, yet equally important reason. You see, the world is not about us. We are not here on Earth to serve ourselves, to have fun, or to get ahead in our jobs and make money. We are here to know, love, and serve God. We are here to serve others—to reflect Christ’s love to our fellow man and to help them know, love, and serve God. Our end goal is an eternity spent with Christ. And our actions here on Earth must help lead others there as well.
Only when we realize that, and only when we live accordingly, will we overcome the culture-of-death mentality and live in eternity with God.