On Life 34 – The Value of Life – July, 11, 2014

   You shall not stand at the life beach looking at its waves and sand without sailing in it, as then you will turn into only a viewer of life, but rather be a participant in it. Sailing across the depths of life requires a number of skills, about most of which we spoke in previous articles, yet I stop by some of them here. It is said: “Life is shorter than being wasted in monitoring others’ mistakes about us and in spreading the spirit of hostility among people.”

   When someone wrongs you, let his mistake pass quickly, do not waste the precious moments of life that God has granted you in hating that person or thinking about taking revenge from him; but rather you shall keep up walking in your life path towards your great goals and missions, without losing what cannot be restored. Man can restore anything he loses except for the time.

   The time elapses from your life can never be restored again; so, you shall not replace what is precious with what is lesser. Trust that those who wrong you would someday know their mistake. About this issue, one of the most wonderful poems is the English Poet Kipling’s “If”, in which a father gives his son advices and instructions regarding the life path in order to achieve success and be a real human, from such advices is to fill the unforgiving minute with working towards achieving the goal. So, do not allow anyone to deprive you of the most precious gift of God to you: “time”, do not get preoccupied with other issues other than your life goals, do not judge a person according to his giving to you, but follow the suit of God, who offers good to everyone. Another point is that you shall go through the journey of life with broad horizons and a considerable foresight.

   By broad horizons I mean that mind which is able to absorb all the thoughts presented, filtrate what goes in conformity with the life you aspire. It is also the mind which is able to realize others’ experiences, incidents and history to learn from them, such experiences form a stock for man throughout his life journey. Here, I recall a poetic verse saying: “Those who keeps knowledge of history in their hearts, do have years added to their age”

   Hence, read extensively in order to understand and learn about many of the life issues, start from the point others ended at in order to reach far more than they reached; the value of life lies in its being a path pursued successively by its pioneers, and not in being pursued solely by every man, that all would reach the very same ends. Listening to others helps in broadening one’s horizons, as it helps you in understanding others properly, and in selecting the good thoughts. And thus, man grows and walks with quick steps in the path of life.

And on life we will keep sailing

The General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center