Neil deGrasse Tyson is a well-known astrophysicist and media personality who speaks around the country about astrophysics and recent discoveries. While on a radio program, he was asked about the meaning of life. His response was that meaning and purpose are dependent on the choices we make. We live. We die. And in between we hopefully contribute something positive to the world. In short, life has no meaning unless we give it one.
With all due respect to Dr. Tyson, that answer misses something important. I agree that we should strive every day to do good in the world. But if human meaning is rooted in our ability to contribute, what about those who can’t contribute – like people with disabilities, the preborn, or the elderly. Are their lives without value? Do their lives mean nothing?
When we’re talking about ultimate meaning, our definition must apply to all human beings. For every person to be equally valuable there must be something about each of us that is equally true.
The value of every human is rooted in qualities you can’t always see at first glance. Every single person has profound worth because every single person is just that – a person. Not just a sophisticated biological machine. A human being, with personhood.
Regardless of whether someone is young or old, a brilliant astrophysicist or severely disabled, every one of us has immeasurable worth because our value is endowed to us by our Creator.
