The Real Tragedy of Brittney Maynard

Last updated on: April 13, 2016 at 6:57 am by Jack Lee

The Real Tragedy of Brittney Maynard 2016-04-13T06:57:58-05:00 Jack Lee

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Over the past month or so the country has been enamored with Brittney Maynard and her decision to end her own life at the age of 29. You are probably aware of this at some level. The amount of media, and social media attention (see “People Magazine” below) this has gotten has been extraordinary. It is a tragic story that has tugged on the heart strings of most who have watched it. But that has not come without controversy.

Brittney was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a very small window to live. In response to this, she and her family moved to Oregon where she can, legally (given the circumstances) medically end her own life. On a day of her choosing she can take a pill which will help avoid the suffering and pain of terminal cancer and end her life peacefully. She went through with this on November 1st, 2014.

As a Christian, I uphold human life in any way I can. I do not agree with Brittney’s decision to end her life. But, that does not mean I am unsympathetic towards her and her situation. I understand why she chose what to do and my heart goes out to her family and friends.

This, and other stories like it show us how fragile life is. I am reminded of James 4:13-14:

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

The real tragedy of Brittney Maynard is that she will soon be forgotten. Her story and videos have captured the hearts and minds of those around the world. But now, a few days removed from her death, her memory (save those of her friends and family) will pass away in the abyss. We are a forgetful people. Her path will be like that of the Ice Bucket Water Challenge from earlier this year. It’s gone as quickly as it came.

Photo Taken From People.Com Article Photo Taken From People.Com Article

I do not say this to be disrespectful to Brittney or her family. This is true of all of us. We are only about 150 years or so away from being mostly forgotten from most everyone on earth. Think about it. How much do you really know about your great great grandfather? Sure, there are stories, but those inch away as well with subsequent passing generation. Our lives really our vapors but that does not mean they are meaningless.

Consider Romans 8:20, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Notice the verse speaks of the one who subjected it; God. It was God’s doing. Death and brevity of life were God’s design. More than that, He subjected creation to death because a day is coming when it will be set free and renewed.

This is the meaning and hope that escapes so many in our world today. Death is sad and young death is confusing and difficult. But Jesus and the gospel of grace gives meaning to life, regardless of how short. Our lives are vapors, but, in Christ, they are vapors blowing towards a greater truth and greater reality God’s glory.

Human life, no matter how short, is exploding with meaning and purpose. This was true for Brittney and this is true for every life lost in a miscarriage or an abortion. We don’t exist to make a name for ourselves. We exist to make a name for God and his greatness.

I’ll borrow an illustration from Pastor Ricky Jones in which we often think of life like a football game. We fight, push, and work trying to win the game. We can work to the point of tears striving to win the game. Yet, we also seem to come up short. We collapse in the arms of Jesus crying, “I tried! I tried so hard!” When what we don’t realize is the game is already over. It ended some 2,000 years ago on a cross. We like to think of ourselves as the football player fighting to make a difference, when in reality, we are just in the band cheering the hero, Jesus. The difference and purpose we serve is to cheer the victor. It’s why we were created.

The real tragedy of Brittney Maynard is (from the outside looking in) that she took her own life without her recognizing the meaning behind her suffering. She will be soon be a passing memory with a short lived legacy; but this is the design. It’s a design that reminds us God is God and we are not.

Previous Post

October 29, 2014

Christians + Clichés = Christian-ese

Next Post

November 4, 2014 "The Hundred-Foot Journey" Movie Review (The Hundred-Foot Heart string)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #ShoutYourAbortion 10 Commandments 2016 Election 2017 2020 Election Abortion Accelerate Books Adultery America Andy Stanley Arminianism Ashley Madison Atonement B&H Academic Baptism Barry Horner Beauty Biblical Elders Billy Graham Blog Book Review Bruce Jenner Caitlyn Jenner Calvin Calvinism Cheating Chick-fil-A Children Christ Christian History Christian Living Christian Podcasts Christianity Christmas Church History Church Leadership Civil Disobedience Constitutional Coronavirus Culture Death Demoninations Discipleship Doctrine Doctrine of God Donald Trump Ecclesiology Entertainment Eschatology Ethics Evangelical Evangelism Evil Evolution Fear Forgive Yourself Forgiveness Francis Chan Future Israel Gay Marriage Gender Genesis George Floyd Gospel Government Gun Control Halloween hamartiology Heavenly Reward Hermeneutics History Hollywood Holy Spirit Homeschool Homosexual Homosexuality Hope Hospitality Humor Husband Infant Baptism Interview Jesus John Piper Josh Duggar Joshua Harris Judgment Justice Kathy Griffin Kim Davis Leadership Logic Love Manhood Marriage Martin Luther Messianic Prophecy Miscarriage Mocking Modesty Money Movie Reviews Music Music Review Netflix New Testament Obergefell Old Testament Parenting Pastor Pastoring Persecution Planned Parenthood Podcast Politics Pop Culture Pornography Prayer Preaching Predestination Pride Prosperity Gospel Rachel Held Evans Racism Ravi Zacharias Redemption Reformation 500 Reformation Day Reformed Theology Relationship Repentance Salvation Same Sex Marriage Satan Satire Scripture Seminary Sex Sin slavery Sola Scriptura Soteriology Sovereignty Spiritual Gifts Spurgeon Star Wars Steven Furtick Suffering Sufficiency of Scripture Sunday School Supreme Court Technology Testimony The Church The Lord of the Rings The Problem of Evil The Shack Theology Theonomy Tithing Transgenderism Tullian Tchividjian Uncategorized Universalism Vanity Fair Video Games Virgin Birth Voting Wife Women Worldview Worship

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz