What is "life"?

No, I'm not talking about our lives, though many people are asking what life is, what good it is to be living, what their purpose in life is.

Here I want to ask what the definition, the Biblical definition, of life is.

You know, scientists only classify plants and animals as "life". But, if we read the Bible, we see that God treats all of creation as living. Not only the Earth, but mountains, rocks, rivers, stars, and planets all as living things which rejoice, groan, travail, dance, sing, and declare the glory of God.

Christ himself told the Pharisees on the Sunday before he died, that if the people did not sing his praises, the very rocks would cry out.

Now scientists tell us that the rocks are recording the things that happen around them, though we have no means to decipher those recordings.

If indeed the Lord's definition of "life" is much broader than what we humans and our "science" wish to admit, then how much more of a tragedy is it that mankind, as a whole, and even we as Christians in our daily lives, have been such poor stewards?

I would that we could go back and convince our ancestors of the need to care for and preserve not only the plants and animals, but the land and sea, as living things.

Still, there is coming a day when Christ shall come, and redeem the whole of creation, which the Bible says is groaning today, because of sin, and expectantly waiting for that day.

Something to think about, next time you kick a pebble, or look at a mountain, or a brook, or a lake, or look up at the stars.

PK