Recently, a celebrity made the news because of an illness and death.
Comedian Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest and died Thursday. Someone close to her made a statement that caught my attention. They said that she was no ordinary 81-year-old because of her active schedule and positive outlook on life.
It is true that the average 81-year-old does not have the lifestyle she has, but the truth of the matter is that she is more like them than different.
As part of the human race, we are frail and mortal, which means we are susceptible to disease, accidents and, yes, even death. One writer of the New Testament put it this way: “Man is destined to die once.” If the life expectancy of an average woman is around 78, someone 81 is living on borrowed time, as my daddy put it.
Another thing that she had in common is the fact that all 81-year-olds were born in sin, for the Scriptures tell us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Probably the most important thing she had in common is the fact that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all, is willing to forgive, and would love to share eternity with every 81-year-old.