The Big Questions answered simply …

Third Day has a sweet song that includes these words-

“You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song … You are so good to me, you heal my broken heart, you are my Father in Heaven …” This week, my 28-year-old son posted that song on his Facebook wall…who cares? Well, for at least 10 years now, he has had nothing to do with his Father in Heaven, having been hurt by ‘the Church’. This mother silently rejoiced.

Seventeen hundred years ago, another mother who also never stopped praying, similarly rejoiced when her immoral, hardened son surrendered himself fully to God. Augustine wrote from his heart to God, “The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because

You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”

Expressed another way by a 17th century Scottish preacher, “The soul of man …. hath in it a raging and inextinguishable thirst—never doth a soul know what solid joy and substantial pleasure is till, once being weary of itself, it renounced all property [and] gives itself up to the Author of its being.”*

Augustine tried to find meaning in every other thing that this world has to offer, as did my boy. They came up empty. Blaise Pascal, (also from the 17th century), taught that man tries ineffectually to fill the empty void of his soul by his surroundings: “So he vainly searches, but finds nothing to help him, other than to see an infinite abyss that can only be filled by One who is Infinite and Immutable. It can only be filled by God.”

Well before these men so eloquently expressed the emptiness that man longs to fill, Solomon—you know David’s son, who was known for his wisdom, his luxurious lifestyle and wealth—wrote ‘Vanity of vanities—all is vanity’ or ‘everything is meaningless.’ But, Sol buddy, you had it all!

Sometimes people do not even know they are searching for God, they are just looking for meaning in life—looking for answers to questions they haven’t quite formed. In the last couple weeks, we have looked at the importance of a Christian worldview—that we shape our philosophy of life and view of the world based on God’s principles. ‘Which god’s principles?’ my friend from Trinidad asks—the God of the Bible.

Sometimes people go on an insane search for meaning and purpose in life after a life-altering event—like the death of someone loved almost as much as life itself—or when diagnosed with a terminal disease themselves, and they must consider their own immortality—or after everything else has come up meaningless, and the nagging emptiness within will not be quieted.

The other day, I dropped off “Of Worldviews and Little Girls”, a recent morning briefing, to my gate guard. As I pulled away, I tossed back, ‘hey text me after you read it, and let me know what you think.’ She did. ‘I have never thought about why I am here, I just live life day-by-day.’ I stared at the letters on my little screen and thought, ‘really? Dang, I’ve heard about people like you—maybe that is easier… I wasn't judging, but definitely thinking about it all.

How do YOU interpret life? Call me controlling, but I would rather have some of these answers before life strikes…and I know some of you would too—so let’s take the bull by the horns, and get some answers!

HOW DID WE GET HERE? Simplistically, you have two choices: Evolution (might include various iterations), or Intelligent Design/ Creationism. What difference does your answer make? The first implies that you came into existence because of some random or even accidental occurrence, while the latter implies intention, design, uniqueness, and purpose.

DO WE HAVE ANY REASON/PURPOSE IN LIFE? Well, how did you answer the last question? If mankind is just a random entity—not endowed with life and meaning by a Creator—then maybe we do just ‘go around once and then we die—so we should live it up!’

OUR PURPOSE CAN ONLY BE KNOWN THROUGH THE CREATOR. Consider the artist and the artwork. I can look at a sculpture or a painting or drawing and completely miss its value, but when I ask its creator—the artist—what it is I am seeing, then I understand its purpose, its value, its intention.

Do you see my point? In truth, it really is quite simple—in the beginning, God… and very shortly after, actually 26 verses later, God said, ‘let us make man in our own image,’ and he did! And so he created us. With that, and from that, comes the very meaning of life, and our purpose . . . stay tuned.

Christine



* Henry Scougal, Scottish minister, author of Life of God in the soul of Man