Live Together or Die Alone

For anyone interested, here is my latest essay...

Live Together or Die Alone

In this age of freedom and intellectual independence, many easily push aside any offer of help. We have become obsessed with the idea that we can do whatever we want by ourselves. Even when we do need help, we oftentimes resist the offer, refusing to make ourselves dependent on another. Fearing that dependence on our family or friends signifies weakness or immaturity, we oftentimes ignore any assistance that presents itself to us. While independece can, to some extent, help us in our lives, we must understand that an absolutely self-reliant person cannot possibly exist. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all depend on others for our survival.

Many examples exist to prove the folly of total self-reliance, and we find one vitally important example in the military that protects our country. What would happen if all of our soldiers suddenly decided that they wanted to become absolutely independent—if they decided that they would stop listening to orders and start to do whatever they wanted to do? Of course, we understand that this would lead to chaos in our armies and, as a result of this chaos, they would not adequately protect our land. Success in battle depends entirely on the soldier’s ability to obey commands and to aid his comrades. If every soldier worried only about himself and no one else, then the army as a whole could not possibly succeed. Our soldiers must rely on one another to watch each other’s backs, and they must also work together to achieve their common goals. Without this dependence, our military would fail.

Sadly, the majority of teenagers nowadays think only about the time when they can leave home and become independent—free from their parents’ “over-protection” of them. While we realize that we must grow up and become independent at some point, we must also recognize how much we do depend on our parents. Many teenagers struggle as they attempt to adjust to life outside of their childhood home, and many also slip into immoral activities once they no longer have the hand of discipline over them. Clearly, we not only depend on our parents to support us as we grow up, but we also depend on them to shape our minds, our consciences, and our ways of thinking. Because of this, we must see the dangers that thrust themselves upon us if we “break away” from our parents’ guidance too early. We must carefully prepare ourselves to face the trails of the world before we go out to face them.

We find another example of the importance of dependence on another at the foundation of our life, our country, and even the entire world. Two thousand years ago, one Man came to give aid to His children throughout the world. God sent His only Son to the world to save sinners, and only by relying entirely on Him can we receive salvation. If we shake off His offer of salvation and merrily go our own way, we will only doom ourselves to eternal destruction in the fires of Hell. But by accepting His loving hand and by falling upon His sacrifice, we will stand before our God on judgment day and hear the words, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Only by depending on Christ can we survive, and only when we entrust ourselves entirely to His hands will He save us from the damnation that most assuredly awaits us otherwise.

As Bernard Shaw once aptly said; “we are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Although we might not admit it, this statement has proven itself time after time throughout the course of history. Human beings simply cannot survive alone—they require the help of others. From the armies that protect us, to the parents who shape our thinking, to the Savior who died for our salvation so many years ago, we constantly rely on others for our survival. Absolute independence cannot exist. We all rely on each other, and we must accept this fact. Only then can we live, and only then can we die.

So there you have it. Next up, gun control!