Two major news magazines this week (Time and U.S. News and World Report April 4, 2005) have cover stories dealing with end of life issues. National and international attention is riveted on a woman in Florida who has been unable to feed herself for over a decade and what should or should not be done now.

Counting what has been spent for her medical care, legal fees on both sides of the issue, actions of government at the local, state, and national levels, and the expenses of news gathering, we are talking about literally millions of dollars.

But let's also look at another facet. The April 14, 2005 Time Magazine cover shows an Asian mother and three children whose names we probably will never know. She tries to support her family by collecting human waste from the doorsteps of houses. The featured story is entitled "How to End Poverty", and the subtitle notes that "Eight million people die each year because they are too poor to stay alive." I recommend that you try to find this article and the new book, The End of Poverty (by Jeffrey Sachs) on which it is based.

I believe that Jesus Christ came into this world and gave his life for the sins of humankind so that we can have a meaningful life here on earth and an eternal life after we die. In his brief ministry, he befriended the poorest of the poor and taught his followers to do likewise. Saving the life of one person, he emphasized, is no more or less important than saving the life of anyone else.

My Jewish and Muslim friends and people of virtually every other faith also believe that one should try to do whatever possible to help other human beings. We honor the heroic firefighters in New York City who rushed into the burning World Trade Center on 9/11/01 and gave their lives to save others.

When I walked down a Manhattan street two years ago, a fire truck roared past with names of victim colleagues from its station who died in that horrible tragedy painted on its side. My eyes became misty as I thought of their sacrifice. They certainly should be remembered.

Recent news has motivated many people to write a "living will" indicating how they wish to be treated if they reach the point when they can no longer take care of themselves. Others are considering their regular wills. That's certainly important.

I have a rather unusual additional suggestion. You might also indicate how you wish to have your body handled after your death.

Let's note three facts:

1. The average funeral and burial in the United States costs well over $10,000.
2. Over half of the world's population has to exist on less than $2.00 per day (as measured in U.S. funds), and every day at least 20,000 children die of hunger and diseases that easily are prevented. Several organizations in this directory offer inexpensive help, such as anti-parasitic worm pills for less than five U.S. cents to take care of a child for six months or very inexpensive vitamins for expectant mothers and their children.
3. Medical and dental school students have to take anatomy classes, and that includes dissection of human remains. Many of the medical cures and procedures that are commonly used today were perfected by being used on human remains. Even with all that is done through computer aided design, this is still necessary.