Ultimately it is not just about our life or death. That is a very anthropocentric view of creation. Neither God not Nature acts in such a way as to keep only the interests of human life uppermost. No doubt there is something special about man that draws the attention and calls for the intervention of the Divine much more easily and oftener. At least that is how it seems though we do not know the wonderful stories of divine intervention that the flowers and animals or rivers and mountains would tell if they could. The gift of speech and conscious prayer is a special Grace unique to man. But the rest of creation is not deprived of this wonderful Grace. It has been a great error of certain religions as well as of a strongly egocentric section of humanity to believe that God created everything for man’s pleasure and enjoyment. Nothing could be more absurd than that. Rather we should say that He created all things for His delight.
It is given to man as a unique privilege to share His kingdom and His delight, not by indulging in but rather by renouncing pleasure. This is the fundamental deviation that we have made, the detour from which we need an urgent course correction. The illness is just a gentle reminder that instead of living for pleasure, for the satisfaction of desires we should learn to live for the good of all creatures. Then we shall experience the delight in all things even as the Divine experiences. Then we shall be freed from all fear and concerns for personal security since we shall dwell in countless bodies and forms with the Divine Presence that dwells in this delightful and dangerous world both of which feed our souls and help us grow in the ways of Wisdom and Love and Joy. Then shall we harbour the strength to face death with the eyes of the deathless One and counter all attacks with the strength that is born from our souls as the fire that nothing can resist.
