One life is as sacred as an entire planet

I was watching a programme today called ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’. Its a Dr Who spin off aimed at younger children, and came out when I was at the right age to watch it so I was rewatching for the sake of something easy to watch. In the particular episode I was watching, Sarah Jane can use her sonic device to stop the computer from bringing all the satellites crashing to earth, but the alien is pointing a gun at her friend. Her friend says, “Do it! It’s me or the earth!” But Sarah Jane puts down her sonic device and says, “One life is as sacred as an entire plantet.”

That struck me as odd. I don’t disagree with it, but so often in films and TV its OK to sacrifice one for the greater good. Or, as Star Trek would put it, ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” But here was a heroine not willing to lose even one, not willing to trade one single life. (It all turns out OK in the end, the satellites don’t crash to earth and everybody lives – it’s a kids TV show after all).

It’s not a situation that we would find ourselves in everyday, but I wonder what we would do in that situation. Would we act out of bravery, or would we act out of fear? Would we decide that the lives of more people were more important than the one person in front of us? Or would we decide we wouldn’t risk even one life at our hands, but risk everything hoping some other way would appear?

God takes the latter approach (sort of). To him, each individual is important. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but John 3: 16 is one of the key verses in the bible, but can also be one of the least helpful.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him

John 3: 16-17

But God doesn’t just love ‘the world’, he loves each and every individual in it. He couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, so came and made a way for you to be with him. He’s the God who leaves the 99 in safety to go and find the 1 who has got lost.

2 Peter 3: 9 says, “-The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ Yes, God wants to save the world. But not just most of it, he wants every single person to come to repentance and to be able to be with him forever. To him, one life is as sacred as an entire planet.

That’s why Jesus came – for individuals to know God, for individuals to be saved. He came for me. And he came for you.