Column by Jonathan Nagy
The odds of getting audited by the IRS are 1 in 220.
The odds of finding a pearl in an oyster are 1 in 10,000.
The odds of making a hole in one in golf are 1 in 12,500.
The odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 1.2 million.
The odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.
Most astoundingly, oddsmakers and philosophers put the odds of every single human life at 1 in 10^2,685,000. That is a 10 followed by nearly 2.7 million zeroes. A number that is seemingly unfathomable, and yet, God knew you would exist. As was written in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” God is there and always has been, and he has thought of you long before you physically existed.
Each currently living human being has roughly eight billion ancestors, and that is only going back about 1,000 years. It is difficult to imagine how many people had to line up in the last 1,000 years for each of us to be where we are and who we are right now., but God knew it, and he made every person for a reason. The question remains, do you know the reason?
Mark Twain famously once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Unfortunately, many do not realize the reason until they meet God after death. However, keeping the thought in the forefront of our minds that God created each of us for a reason should inspire everyone to become the best person that they can be.
We are all touched when someone gives careful thought and consideration for us, whether by giving the perfect gift, making special accommodations for our diets or abilities, or simply knowing what makes us happy. We struggle to understand sometimes how anyone could know us that well and we are impressed that they do. God knows all of those things about us and more. He has counted the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7), he knows our hearts (1 John 3:20), our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5), our anxieties (1 Peter 5:7), our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9), our actions (Ecclesiasties12:14) and our relationship with him (John 10:28).
One of the greatest examples of how well God knows us is Psalm 139:
Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, Lord, You know it all.
You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will take hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You When I was made in secret, And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written All the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
If only You would put the wicked to death, God; Leave me, you men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
This psalm has been used in many popular hymns, most notably “You Are Near” and “O God You Search Me.” These hymns resound with so many because they demonstrate how well God knows us and how much he loves and respects us. He made each of us in His own image and what a masterpiece we are! We are all made beautifully and wonderfully in His image, and we should see His face in everyone we encounter!
So poignant are the words to those hymns that they have become themes for the Pro-Life movement. God knew what actions we would take before we were even formed in the womb. He knew our likes and dislikes before we did. God gave each of us a chance, and every human life deserves that chance.
October is Respect Life Month. Under the direction of the USCCB, American Catholics “consider why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.” God respected our lives to see us into creation, and we have the duty to protect the lives of others, especially the most vulnerable among us.
I remember during my high school years at Bishop Carroll going to the Pro-Life March in Washington, D.C., several years in a row. I was impressed and overwhelmed with the passion and support of people from all over the country, peacefully protesting the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. I remember praying the rosary on our bus on the way down for life, participating in a prayer service at the Basilica, and being led in prayer in downtown Washington. It was truly an inspiring event, and while the Roe v. Wade decision has been overturned, work is still needed. I encourage anyone who is able to attend the National March for Life sometime if you have never done so.
One of the sights that I remember from the March in Washington, DC was a group of students my age all wearing shirts that read “God made me, and God doesn’t make junk.” That image has stuck with me for the last 25 years. God loves us at all times for who we are, our perfections and imperfections. Like any loving father, He wants to see us grow and improve. He knew from the beginning what He was making, and we need to respect ourselves and others that have been made in His image.
When one analyzes the complexities of the human body, doubt cannot exist that there is intelligent design from the Creator. Our nerves, veins, organs, and cells all have distinct functions. Our brains operate at a high capacity. We are truly remarkable creations, and definitely not junk. No human life is junk. We have all been created for a purpose. We need to live towards that purpose and allow others to do the same.
Yes, to us, the odds were never in our favor that we would exist, but to God, he always knew we would. It is up to us to ensure that others are given the same opportunities that we have been given. Our parents brought us into life, and we need to pray and encourage others to give their babies a chance as we have been given.
During the month of October, I encourage everyone to take more positive action to protect and promote human life. Say an extra rosary for the cause, participate in a peaceful assembly, or attend an event. Consider the sanctity of everyone’s life and how precious it is. We only get one shot at this life, and it is a test to determine if we pass to Heaven when our time is over. Everyone deserves that chance to take that test.
God has always known everything about us and always will. He loved us into creation, and He will welcome us back into His loving arms when our time on earth has ended. God knows and calls each of us by name. Pray that everyone comes to recognize the importance of every human life, and that we love one another as He has loved us.
Jonathan Nagy, M.Ed., is the Dean of Students, Director of Alumni Relations, and Social Studies teacher at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School in Ebensburg. He is also the Music Director at the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel in Loretto.
