The Meaning of Life

Have you ever considered that this isn’t at all what you wanted or expected?

Not your life, per se, because after all, my life is the sum of the choices I have made. So while I may be off-course for some poor decisions I have made, I certainly cannot claim surprise. Likewise, I can make choices today to head it into any new direction as I might conceive.

No, what I am referring to is LIFE. That big word that sums the total of all existence.

One of the church’s I’ve been attending has been hosting “The Truth Project” (it has a web site; its a Focus On the Family production) on Wednesday evenings. It is a 13-part study of society from a Christian Worldview. It is designed for Christians, but I know of several non-believers and borderline people who would benefit from it immensely.

It identifies Truth, and then challenges the “truth” that the world projects. Very intelligent, thought-provoking, and insightful.

But I mean to say that the church finished that study. After a one-week hiatus, they formed a panel of people to facilitate a sort of group Q & A on two Wednesday evenings. The idea is that clips from The Truth Project would be shown, followed by conversation-sparking questions, and discussion lead by the panel.

I was asked to be on the panel. What an honor. I’m not even a member of the church, and have only been attending for some 6 months.

In any case, one of the questions that was asked was, “What is the meaning of Life? What does Life mean? How do you define it?”

Several people answered, and this lead to some good discussion. But there came a lull and I jumped in.

“When you ask, ‘What is the meaning of Life’, and you ask it in, especially when you ask it in this kind of context [in church], I am overwhelmed in answer by this cascade, this flood of…everything! I am flooded by this glowing explosion of everything. It’s THE Word for all that God created! Its …its HUGE! It’s simply to big, too Holy, too pure to utter! Any description seems entirely inadequate but completely necessary if people are going to begin to talk about Life.

“I share that to say, ‘Life’ comes forward in my mind as a radiant explosion of vitality, a bright light if you will. And that gives me pause, because we, Christ’s people — the church — are to be His light, His lamp shining to the world! We are to reflect His life, a life of abundance and radiance so much like what this image pouring forth suggests…

“…But are we? The overwhelming point illustrated in this study is how values of the world have crept in, crept to dominance, especially in our nation which once, while not Christian, did have a stable basis in religion and morality.

“And the sad part is, to me, is that as this bursting radiance that is Life explodes forth in my head, it puts in contrast that which is around it. The darkness. All that which is not Life, but which is Death. And so I find myself looking, searching through this life, for the Light that is Life, and weeping for the Death that has overtaken so many, even as they are still alive.”

And so I ask, have you ever considered that this isn’t at all what you wanted or expected?

What does Life mean to you?