At first blush there seems to be a tension between the instruction from the Book of Deuteronomy to “Choose Life” and the word of Jesus that his disciple must “take up his cross daily and follow me, for whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.” The key to interpreting these two passages can be found in the word “daily” that appears in St. Luke’s version of the saying of Jesus. Choosing life is not a one time event that you can get off your check list. Choosing life is a daily thing that involves the cross of remaining faithful in the midst of difficulty, of forgiving even in the face of repeated hurts, of generosity toward those who might not deserve it.
