It’s fascinating to me how resilient people are, yet at the same time extraordinarily fragile. People can survive some pretty intense physical trauma. Car accidents, falls, gunshots. It’s pretty amazing.

But in some circumstances, even tiny little imperfections in a persons chemistry and genetic makeup can reduce a lifespan by decades.

It reminds me of the opening verse of the Andrew Bird song The Giant of Illinois.

The giant of Illinois
died from a blister on his toe
after walking all day through the first winter snow

throwing bits of stale bread
to the last speckled doves
he never even felt his shoes filled with blood

A giant dies from a small wound on his foot that he didn’t notice.

It also got me thinking how, in a spiritual way, even small sins when gone unnoticed and unchecked can have a resounding effect in a persons life; no sin stands alone.