Reverence for Life — Albert Schweitzer’s Core Ethical Principle
Today, my passion is focused on Loving Mother Earth. Some of the energy that drives me today was birthed by a autobiography I read in 8th grade. Now, 60 years later, I still have that very same paperback book. Let me introduce you to an exemplar who lived for goodness, truth, and beauty.
There it is — a picture of the paperback book I read so many years ago, wrapped in Glad’s Press’n Seal. It would fall apart otherwise. Hard to believe that this book was so important to me as an adolescent when I was beginning to search for meaning and purpose in life.
Reverence for Life remains a core ethical principle, and one especially relevant to the Global Environmental Emergency facing us all today. I’ll get to that in a moment, but first some background.
What jump-started my interest many years ago, was the fact that our church had just put up a new educational building. Each classroom was named after a then famous missionary. The Schweitzer Room had a typed and signed “Thank You” letter from Dr. Schweitzer hanging on the wall, a kind acknowledgement of our community’s small honor of his large life and work. He was to die just a few years later, but the impression he left on me has lasted.
Reverence for Life — An ethical principle articulated by Schweitzer — which, he believed, to be his greatest contribution to humankind.
He wrote: Only by means of reverence for life can we establish a spiritual and humane relationship with both people and all living creatures within our reach. Only in this fashion can we avoid harming others, and, within the limits of our capacity, go to their aid whenever they need us.
As the Age of Enlightenment was coming to an end, a time when much had been reduced to matter alone, hard data, and the objective, heartless laws of science, Schweitzer wrote of the will to live that was embedded in all beings. To live with Reverence for Life is to live in support of every being’s will to live.
Reverence for the life of one and all on earth is the highest principle and defining purpose around which we should organize our own lives.
As for me…my understanding is simply this — If I work at living like Jesus (or pick the exemplar of your faith), I will experience the struggles that will eventuate in union with All That Is. I’ve written about that elsewhere in a Medium article on J. Krishnamurti, another worthy exemplar.
Schweitzer was a theologian and author.
My father was impacted by Schweitzer’s 1906 book, The Quest of the Historical Jesus. It was written at a time when modern theologians where on a quest FOR the historical Jesus. The second book was written in 1931 — The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle.
Here is a rather famous quote in reference to Jesus.
He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side, He came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: ‘Follow thou me’ and sets us to the task which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.
The way to The Truth is to live into life, to experience all of life, and through that to learn the lessons that we need to learn in order to find The Truth.
Schweitzer was a musician.
Bach was his favorite from what I have read, although, he had committed to memory many, many pieces of classical music from many musicians. He championed the rebuilding of great pipe organs in Europe, wrote music himself, and authored much about organ rebuilding and playing. At age 88, he was still playing his beloved pedal-piano.
Schweitzer was a Physician
In 1905 he decided to follow Jesus’ call to “be fishers of men” by entering into the practice of medicine rather than to become a preacher. He had no background in medicine at the time, but believed that by being a physician he could avoid the hassles that came with the doctrinal disputes that would have emerged should he have chosen to be a preacher. He was a bit of an iconoclast. In 1911 he graduated from medical school, and then, with his new wife, was granted the opportunity to start a medical mission in what is now the African country of Gabon.
The picture at the top of this article was taken at Lambarene, the medical mission he founded. It was nothing more than a hut when he arrived for his first of four tours. By the time he finally left, there was a hospital in place, but not one deemed to be up to modern standards. Some controversy arose around the conditions there. It seems to me, that Schweitzer kept the hospital closer to the primitive conditions with which his patients were familiar, than the standards of modern medicine. Okay from one perspective, and not so from another.
Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952
The phrase Reverence for Life came to Schweitzer while on a boat trip in Gabon. In his book Civilization and Ethics, written at that time, Schweitzer wrote:
“Ethics is nothing other than Reverence for Life. Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life, and to destroy, to harm or to hinder life is evil.”
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Schweitzer “for his altruism, reverence for life, and tireless humanitarian work which has helped making the idea of brotherhood between men and nations a living one.”
Schweitzer’s Reverence for Life makes him an Environmentalist
If he were among us today, he would speak of Reverence for ALL of life, of the deep connections between human beings, nations, and the natural environment.
We all need role models, exemplars who make it clear that it is possible for a human being to live a good, true and beautiful life. Albert Schweitzer was one of those in my life who, by the example of his life, gave me a vision and some hope for what was possible for me. Yes, for all of us.
I’m sure you have such role models as well. Find them. Honor them. Write them a thank you letter. Show them some reverence for the life they have lived, and the vision and hope you have because of their presence among us.
Rather than living with separation and greed, live with Communion and with Reverence for Life. That’s the message I wish to leave with you.
Mother Earth will appreciate it.
And so will all of creation.
Thank you for LOVING MOTHER EARTH.
I am the author of the book LOVING MOTHER EARTH: Integrating Environmentalism and Spirituality, which you can find on Amazon. You are also invited to follow me on Medium. Learn more about me at www.andyatwood.com.
