One of God's Mysteries?
Much is spoken of God's mysteries. However many and whatever they may be, when we can't comprehend why a particular experience befalls us, our search for meaning often ends at that conclusion.
Perhaps Terri Schiavo is an instrument of God's mystery in our lives, to help us develop or affirm our own understanding of the meaning of life, or at least one part of it.
Perhaps Terri Schiavo was placed into the lives of those around her, including us, now that her plight has come to our own knowledge, as a test. To test our humanity. To help us determine our understanding of who we are, who our "neighbor" or "brother" is, and what we owe each other as fellow travelers on this earth.
In Genesis, Cain asked God "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer to that question is supposed to be Yes. Who is my brother? Everyone but myself, actually. (Feminist niggling over genderspeak, aside.)
Michael Schiavo will have to answer to God for the way in which he has treated his wife, for good or ill. Only those three truly know what Terri's wishes were, and Terri can't tell us. It's incumbent upon us to err on the side of caution, to favor life. In "he said/she said" situations, or in this case "he said/she can't say", we are left to judge the words, deeds, and character of the parties involved.
For the first three years after Terri fell ill, Michael Schiavo sought medical care for her. Since that time, and within about 90 days of receiving (jointly with Terri) settlement awards of over $2,000,000 (principally for her continuing care), he has tried to end her life. It's possible that he was holding out hope from February of 1990 thru early 1993 that Terri would recover.
It's possible. And perhaps then, after almost 3 years of dealing with the uncertainties and painful desperation of seeing his wife that way, and grappling with the lonliness it created, that he resigned himself to the possibility that she would never recover. At least not to an existence or quality of life that he would judge as worthwhile, as necessary to continue living.
That's possible. And it would even be understandable. I could empathize with him.
It's possible that he simply failed the test. The compassion test. The commitment test.
The test of loyalty, integrity, trust and faithfulness. And patience- perhaps the one we'd all be mostly likely to fail. Perhaps he was tested, and found wanting.
Perhaps.
It's also possible that something more sinister was at the root of Terri's condition. Perhaps.
What we do know is this: for almost eight years now, Michael Schiavo has been trying to let Terri die. Whether from withholding treatment for various life-threatening infections and posting a Do Not Resuscitate order (medical treatment), or from withholding food and water (not medical treatment). Because he says that this is what she wanted.
And we know this: Michael Schiavo lives with another woman and their two bastard children.
And this: Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, the people who brought her into this world, want to care for their daughter, absolving Michael Schiavo of any past and future responsibility for Terri.
Those are the things we do know.
Visit http://www.terrisfight.net/
Perhaps Terri Schiavo is an instrument of God's mystery in our lives, to help us develop or affirm our own understanding of the meaning of life, or at least one part of it.
Perhaps Terri Schiavo was placed into the lives of those around her, including us, now that her plight has come to our own knowledge, as a test. To test our humanity. To help us determine our understanding of who we are, who our "neighbor" or "brother" is, and what we owe each other as fellow travelers on this earth.
In Genesis, Cain asked God "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer to that question is supposed to be Yes. Who is my brother? Everyone but myself, actually. (Feminist niggling over genderspeak, aside.)
Michael Schiavo will have to answer to God for the way in which he has treated his wife, for good or ill. Only those three truly know what Terri's wishes were, and Terri can't tell us. It's incumbent upon us to err on the side of caution, to favor life. In "he said/she said" situations, or in this case "he said/she can't say", we are left to judge the words, deeds, and character of the parties involved.
For the first three years after Terri fell ill, Michael Schiavo sought medical care for her. Since that time, and within about 90 days of receiving (jointly with Terri) settlement awards of over $2,000,000 (principally for her continuing care), he has tried to end her life. It's possible that he was holding out hope from February of 1990 thru early 1993 that Terri would recover.
It's possible. And perhaps then, after almost 3 years of dealing with the uncertainties and painful desperation of seeing his wife that way, and grappling with the lonliness it created, that he resigned himself to the possibility that she would never recover. At least not to an existence or quality of life that he would judge as worthwhile, as necessary to continue living.
That's possible. And it would even be understandable. I could empathize with him.
It's possible that he simply failed the test. The compassion test. The commitment test.
The test of loyalty, integrity, trust and faithfulness. And patience- perhaps the one we'd all be mostly likely to fail. Perhaps he was tested, and found wanting.
Perhaps.
It's also possible that something more sinister was at the root of Terri's condition. Perhaps.
What we do know is this: for almost eight years now, Michael Schiavo has been trying to let Terri die. Whether from withholding treatment for various life-threatening infections and posting a Do Not Resuscitate order (medical treatment), or from withholding food and water (not medical treatment). Because he says that this is what she wanted.
And we know this: Michael Schiavo lives with another woman and their two bastard children.
And this: Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, the people who brought her into this world, want to care for their daughter, absolving Michael Schiavo of any past and future responsibility for Terri.
Those are the things we do know.
Visit http://www.terrisfight.net/
posted by Brad @ 11:59 PM
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