Most of us who have watched the Terri Schiavo tragedy unfold have wondered what to think. The legal issues involved in her medical care and death are enormous. When should society guarantee a person's right to refuse life support? What kind of statements and/or documents are necessary? Absent these, is the decision best left to the spouse or other immediate family? What role should health care providers play?

Nearly every person I've spoken with on this subject says that he or she would not wish to be kept alive under such circumstances. Nearly every parent would want a role in making such a tragic decision. The legal and political issues raised by this tragedy will be discussed for some time to come.

However, my interest in this essay is not legal but biblical. I'm writing to try to clarify my own mind on this difficult subject, and perhaps help others as they wrestle with this tragedy. Unfortunately, any of us could find ourselves where Mrs. Schiavo's family has been since 1990. Perhaps this essay could help answer some of the hardest practical and theological questions raised by this painful issue.