There is a cave in New Zealand that has an unusual species of glowworms. The inside of the cave is lit up (it's an extraordinary sight) by thousands of these phosphorescent little creatures. They spend most of their lives as larvae. When they finally hatch and get their wings, amazingly enough they have no mouths. They have no way to feed. They only live for one single day. They get one day to fly. They get one day to attract a mate, get married, have children, and then they die. One day.

On the other end of the spectrum of life, a few years ago scientists found the oldest living animal at the bottom of the ocean near Iceland. It was a type of deep-sea clam called a quahog. By studying the quahog's shell, which grows by a layer every year, the scientists determined that the animal was 507 years old. In other words, this mollusk was born in 1499, or just seven years after Columbus sailed to America. Ming was happy as a clam, until (true story) scientists at Bangor University in North Wales inadvertently killed Ming when they opened its shell to find out how old it was.

A day or 507 years—in both cases, death struck. It's the same for all of us. The Bible says "all flesh is like grass." Our lives will end. The fastest athlete in the world will eventually be defeated by arthritis. The most beautiful supermodel in the world will not be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue when she is 97 years old. Wealthy, powerful CEOs get betrayed by their bodies, and they die.