Reverence for life needed at all times

One of the greatest stories of reverence for life is found in the Jewish scriptures, in Chapter 2 of Exodus.

Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, gave an order to all Egyptian subjects.

“Throw into the river every boy who is born to the Hebrews but let the girls live.” A woman with a son hid him for three months from the pharaoh’s decree.

Then she placed him in a basket, daubed with bitumen and pitch.

She released him on the River Nile hoping some mother might help him.

The boy’s sister remained close to the river to see what would happen.

Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the river to bathe.

She saw the boy, and her attendant brought the boy to the princess.

We read, “On opening the basket she was filled with joy.” She adopted the boy and raised him in the royal household.

His name was Moses, the savior and leader of the Jewish people.

Reverence for life should not concentrate on one issue but every life is important, because we are created in the image and likeness of God. Our Founding Fathers had the same understanding of life when they said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, [with] certain unalienable rights [including] life … .” This calls for opposition to capital punishment and to make every effort to avoid war which is so destructive to human life. This is more important than ever due to the power of the atom bomb.

One person who has a reverence for all life is Melinda Gates. She has gone to the poorest areas of the world, taking one of her three children with her each time, to see how she might help these destitute people. She reminds us that, as people of religion, believing in the God-given dignity of every human being, we must make every effort to safeguard human life everywhere.

There are many stories of individuals honoring the right to life for others. One that has a special appeal for me is the story of a Jewish scholar, Yaffa Eliach. Nazis killed her parents in Lithuania. Somehow she had not been home but ended up desperate and lonely, walking the streets. A kind Catholic woman took her home and, following the loss of Yaffa’s parents, decided to raise her. Yaffa was about ten years old and her benefactor raised her in the Jewish faith.

The young girl remembered some relatives in America. Her benefactor arranged for her to go to America where she attended university. She was appointed a teacher in a Jewish college in Brooklyn. I met her at a national Christian-Jewish workshop and was deeply impressed by the story of her life. I sent her a copy of a book I wrote with Rabbi Levine entitled “Rabbi Levine’s Challenge, Father Treacy’s Response.” She wrote to me saying, “Thank you so much for your response to Rabbi Levine’s challenge. You also responded to many of my students in the class Introduction to Judaic Studies.” She is a reminder of what love can do for a person in need.