~~Sisyphus
ON PURPOSE
One of the most common refrains we hear from those who have reached the pinnacle of success is that of the emptiness that still stalks their lives, all their successes notwithstanding. That sort of confession is at least one reason the question of meaning is so central to life's pursuit. Although none like to admit it, what brings purpose in life for many, particularly in countries rich in enterprising opportunities, is a higher standard of living, even if it means being willing to die for it. Yet, judging by the remarks of some who have attained those higher standards, there is frequently an admission of disappointment. Eventually, this draws you and I to seek a sense of purpose and a teleological ends beyond the scope of our existence... where does it all lead us?
I remember mentioning the honesty of the arts... if you don't mind, I'd like to share some powerful words penned by songwriter Ed Ames highlighting the depth of a need for ultimate purpose in life:
From the canyons of the mind,
We wander on and stumble blind
Through the often-tangled maze
Of starless nights and sunless days,
While casting for some kind of clue
Or road to lead us to the truth,
But who will answer?
.....
High upon a lonely ledge,
a figure teeters near the edge,
And jeering crowds collect below
To egg him on with, "Go, man, go!"
And who will ask what led him
To his private day of doom,
And who will answer?
In the rooms of darkened shades,
The scent of sandalwood pervades.
The colored thoughts in muddled heads
Reclining in rumpled beds
Of unmade dreams that can't come true,
And when we ask what we should do,
Who? Who will answer?
.....
Is our hope in walnut shells
Worn 'round the neck with temple bells,
Or deep within some cloistered walls
Where hooded figures pray in halls?
Or crumbled books on dusty shelves,
Or in our stars, or in ourselves,
Who will answer?
If the soul is darkened by a fear it cannot name,
If the mind is baffled When the rules don't fit the game,
Who will answer? Who will answer? Who will answer?
What is startling about this artist is that without apology, he doesn't merely ask what will answer, but Who? And in this, you and I can see that we each share a fundamental need for meaning in our lives. Thus, each of us doesn't escape the need for an answer exterior to our means. French Existentialist Jean Paul Sartre addressed the matter in metaphorically grave terms in his book "No Exit": Concerning the struggle of a doomed humanity to find meaning in a meaningless world.. and struggling to escape this nihilistic sense that impedes our day-to-day existence.. how can an individual try to break away from this? He says there really is no exit from the reality of that kind of meaninglessness.
GOD & THE INFINITE
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
What kind of answer did Moses receive? First God tells of his affiliation with their predecessors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... but note perhaps the most cryptic nature of His answer that follows, which even brings me to a sense of wonder:
This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Try to picture God in all his mighty splendour and power... Would it have been wise for Moses to respond in crass incredulity with: "No, I won't accept that answer. That tells me nothing!!"
But His answer is indicative of Who he is. If God is who He claims to be, He is the Author of all we could ever desire in life. He is the source for every answer for every question we can and cannot yet conceive. God must necessarily escape full comprehension, or he would not be infinite.
Allow me to offer an illustration to sustain my point. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Law of diminishing returns? It will come in handy to understand this illustration. I am indebted to Ravi Zacharias for this insight.
Imagine yourself unfolding a tale with all the appropriate emotion and gestures to three young children ages seven, four, and one. Let me invite you to listen in as the story reaches its climax.
To the seven year old I say, "Little Tommy got up, walked up to the door, and opened the door. Suddenly a dragon jumped in front of Tommy." Her eyes get wide.
Next I narrate the same story to the four year old: "Little Tommy got up and walked up to the door... and Tommy opened the door!" her eyes get wide.
Now I tell the story to the one year old, whose entire worldview is exhausted by one word - cookie.
We say to the one year old, "Little Tommy got up... and walked up to the door!" her eyes get wide.
What am I saying? At age seven, the child needed the dragon to evoke wonder.
At age four, the mere gesture of slowly opening the door struck that chord.
At age one, it was a pretty big deal just to walk up to the door.
I say to you with emphasis that the older you get, the more it takes to fill your heart with wonder, and only God is big enough to do that.
But as a token of goodwill, allow me to provide for you just one of many defining characteristics of God:
God is the only entity whose purpose and reason for existence is in Himself.
Everyone else must look outside of oneself to find meaning. However, God IS meaning. We see this strikingly clear when Jesus declares not merely that he has the truth, but that he IS Truth. God in His essence is the pure embodiment of goodness, and so to attempt to define goodness apart from God becomes a meaningless and relativistic exercise. To ask me to supply you with such an answer is to ask me to extend beyond the Christian worldview and see if I can make a Godless ethic work, is it not?
[Added Question Below]
Corvus, I fully understand that we have a life beyond this message board, and that anyone else is welcome to offer a response as they desire. However, this writing has been outlined on the basis of our discussion hitherto. The question I want to ask then is does anyone have any disagreements on this issue they wish to bring forward?
