A few nights ago an event took place near our home; an event that could have been an accident and the driver not even aware of the occurrence. However, in my experience the driver probably was aware, probably was not traveling in an emergency mode and probably didn’t even care. The car sped off; the cat might have instantly died but probably not. However it did die sometime during the night and probably had a very painful last few minutes or hours. And, probably as the car sped off, the driver said to himself, “Oh well it was just a cat.” But it wasn’t just a cat. This cat was a friends and a pet in addition to being part of God’s creation.

My experience has been that those words are probably what are often said; only the subject might be different such as dog, deer, cow or whatever. And, usually with the accusative thought as to why that animal got into “my way” as if it’s the animal’s fault.

Perhaps that is one of the main reasons we, as a world, have the problems we do. We are, as a world, an uncaring people without real regard for life. If we did, then one would not discard any phase of life. We would not rape, steal, murder of kill unnecessarily, any life.

Let me introduce to you an amazing Christian person by the name of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Dr. Schweitzer had, by the time he was 30, his doctorate in medicine, music, theology and philosophy. At the age of 30 he boarded a ship sailing towards Africa and from age 30 until his death at 85 spent those 55 years ministering to God’s children in Lambarene, Africa.

During those 55 years he never took credit of or congratulations for the surgeries and healing he administered. He would always say, “It is not I, but the Lord Jesus that did the healing, I was only his tool.” And then would conclude with a prayer. It was this very compassionate and caring Christian who coined the phrase and started the movement that ALL life is sacred and has the God given right to live.

If we all had, and lived, that motto there would be no rapes, or stealing as no one would do that to any of God’s creation. And – it would never be said, “Oh well, it was just a cat.”

Randy Middleton

Tonasket