1 Corinthians 15:35-58 - Thoughts on Terri Schiavo and Pope John Paul
“But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body… There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another… So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable…But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual... What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
1 Cor 15:35-58 (NRSV)
In recent weeks people around the world have followed the case of Terri Schiavo, the woman in Florida whose suffering became the focus of court cases, and state and federal governmental actions. Blessedly, for Terri, her days of suffering have now ended. However, for the family, death has not ended the bitterness and pain. Terri’s husband and parents are now enemies and who knows where that will lead. Half a world away from Florida, in Rome, the attention of the world is focusing on Vatican City. Pope John Paul II is gravely ill and as of this morning has suffered heart failure on top of his other ailments. The Pope, has stated he did not wish to go to a hospital but insisted on receiving care in his quarters. As millions of Catholics watch and wait, the Pope has chosen, to place his future in God's hands. Both of these cases, the Pope and Terri Schiavo have called to the forefront end of life issues for many people. And as reported in the New York Times; "On the most pragmatic level, she has been the instrument of thousands, and probably millions, of intimate conversations in which family members told one another what they would like to happen if their own bodies outlived their minds. In countless other cases, people recalled the days on which they had said goodbye to loved ones, and perhaps many came closer to peace in dealing with their own great losses."
In June of 1990, my Dad collapsed at home. In New Jersey, the law required (and still may require) that if someone started CPR it could not be stopped unless a doctor told them to. When Dad collapsed, a neighbor, who was and is an EMT came in to help. She began CPR on Dad and after 30-45 minutes got him breathing and his heart beating again. Dad was then taken to the hospital and placed on all the wonderful machines that were available to sustain his life. In all honesty, we would expect nothing less to be done. We give thanks every day for every effort that was made in those first days and hours to help him.
As time went on, the doctors did the usual tests, CAT scans, MRI’s, and a host of others to try and determine what happened and what help/hope remained. The word was not good. Dad did not have a stroke, but the extended period of time without oxygen to his brain, left only minimal brain function. Much like Terri Schiavo, he was not quite brain dead, but very close to it indeed. The doctors told us that they could not and would not remove any life support equipment unless we directed them to do so (Remember Karen Quinlan? Her case was decided within 20 miles of my folk's home.). So the decision fell to my mother.
I come from a large Roman Catholic family, there are eight children and each of us is different in our own way. There are very few things we all agree about in life. One of them is that all life is very precious, something to be cherished and not wasted. I imagine that in any election our votes would absolutely cancel out one another. However, we all agreed, that what was needed from us when Dad was comatose was not fighting or bickering, not disagreements or indecision, but support for Mom. We agree to support Mom’s decision, whatever it might be regarding Dad’s treatment and care.
It should have been a simple choice, but neither Mom nor Dad had ever really talked to us or one another regarding end of life issues. What was she to do? Eventually, Mom decided to “No Code” Dad. This meant that he would be fed, but would be removed from the respirator and other support equipment. His recovery (in this world) was in God’s hands. For the next two weeks we watched him fade away. And then, blessedly, he was gone and with the Lord. We mourned and had the funeral.
Honestly, I remember little of the funeral service and more of the days of visitation before it. A friend who worked with Dad came to the visitation. He mentioned that he and Dad had spoken about just this type of situation not more than a month or two back. It turns out Dad never wanted extraordinary measures taken. His faith in God led him to believe the words of Paul, "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." The result of those few words was visible in my Mom's demeanor immediately. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her back. In an instant, I became a strong believer in medical powers of attorney and other end of life directives.
I can't say if the same thoughts were on Terri Schiavo's mind, or her husband's. That is something between them as husband and wife. However, we do know, that Terri never made her wishes known and so we have had a public spectacle. Pope John Paul, by contrast is being very clear about his desires. And I believe it is the healthiest thing for all of us to do. To be as clear as possible with friends and loved ones concerning what treatment we wish or expect, when we cannot make decisions for our self. The time to have these discussions is now, not later.
Out of all of this, I have come to appreciate Paul's wisdom. This body is of little importance. What matters most of all is how we use the life we have to glorify God. The Pope has devoted all his adulthood to serving the Lord our God and has never hesitated to live his faith. Terri Schiavo's husband, acted with love in the decisions he made on behalf of his wife, regardless of whether or not her parents agreed. He was her husband and the decisions were his to make. Terri's parents acted with love as well, refusing to abandon hope in their daughter and God's healing powers. My Mom acted with love when she made the decisions regarding my Dad.
God sees all these things. He knows how we anguish and our pain. Paul's words are words of hope and comfort from God, reminding us that, "When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” What more can we add but, "Amen."
Lord, we struggle so with all the issues of death and dying. Help us, comfort those who mourn each day. Grant them the knowledge that death is not final for people of faith. Let them know that because you live, we too shall live. Hear our cries, in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
- I have included the link to the NY Times piece for those who wish to read it. - Andy
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