Do we have a purpose?

“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

This weekend a man told me that God created us just because he was bored, because he needed something to toy with, and that an omnipotent being doesn't need us, and therefore we have no purpose. It's true that God does not need us, but that does not mean we are without purpose. 

The quote is from a book that I have not yet finished. I like this quote a lot, perhaps it will encourage me to finish the book. If we had no purpose, why would it be innately human to search for purpose?

Reminds me of the term homo religiosus, one of my favorite nerd topics of the study of religion. It's a term used to describe a phenomenon that all cultures have had a religion of some form or another, and a claim that man is inherently religious. 

Throughout history man has known of God, but many cultures have attempted to fill in the blanks. It's part of our being to have an inward link to God, but without the Logos, (Look at that! Latin, Greek, I'm all over the dead languages today.) it ends up all looking the same.

It has been said before that all religions are "different paths up the same mountain." The picture is that God is sitting on a mountain, and human beings of different religions are all trying to climb the mountain in different ways. Man already knows he's up there, we're all just trying to figure out how we're going to get up there too. 

Stephen Prothero outlines this well in his book God is Not One (Another unfinished book)

Islam: the problem is pride / the solution is submission 

Christianity: the problem is sin / the solution is salvation

Confucianism: the problem is chaos / the solution is social order

Buddhism: the problem is suffering / the solution is awakening

Judaism: the problem is exile / the solution is to return to God

This is taken out of context, but it's a useful list that saves time. 

Even the atheist, or the religion of the secular, however you would like to define it, does some pretty bizarre stuff in order to fulfill a need for a spiritual connection. When Princess Diana died, acres and acres of memorabilia had to be cleaned up from people leaving spontaneous shrines across London, the site of the twin towers had the same problem. One time a working motocycle in excellent condition was left at the vietnam memorial.

THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!

It's just like that awful pop song that says "there's a God shaped hole in all of us." People just have a need to DO something, even if they don't know what the problem is, they're still looking for a solution.

So let me add one to the list: Secular: the problem is unknown / the solution is just do something that "feels good."

Every other religion requires merit, requires you to earn something. (Even awakening, which could, theoretically, be a gift, is not a gift in Buddhism, it is a result of following the eightfold path. In fact, I would edit that to say "the solution is the eightfold path," which is exactly what Buddha said, were I to make it my own.) Christianity is the oddball. Religion made by man just doesn't get it. We're never going to be GOOD enough to earn favor of a perfect God. Salvation is a gift. Instead of God sitting on top of the mountain waiting to see if we'll make it or not, God comes off the mountain, he descends into our messed up sea-level world, and does all the work for us. He walks down the mountain, asks us if we want a ride, then carries us back up the mountain.

If God loves us so much that he is willing to do THAT, willing to be tortured until his death to pay the price for our sins, then how could an measure of logic lead you to the conclusion that we are an insignificant plaything with no purpose?

One of my favorite passages is 1 John 4:7-21. It's a real 'feel good' passage. It's all about God loving man, and man loving God, loving your brother, loving the Son who loves you, and loves God. It's like God was just sitting around over there in eternity-ville, boiling over with love, and he's just like, "Man, I got so much love I just gotta DO something with it! I need some more peeps to love on!"

At minimum, human beings were made to be loved on by God. Is that not a good enough answer? I know it makes me feel good.

Mario was not a millionaire, but still awesome.

Imagine if Mario obsessed about getting every single coin. It would take him forever to save the princess. Don't let money run your life; focus on what's important.

Matthew 16:26

Unmet Goals

When our plans are taken off track, we do not often acknowledge God as the cause. God’s purpose for us, his direction, does not always line up with our desires. When we hold on too tightly to our plans, it is often crushing when they are not fulfilled. What seems to us as spiritual warfare, or an unfair God, is often God’s guidance. We should be fluid and accepting of the superior knowledge that God has of our skill set, insomuch that we are not disappointed when his plans differ from ours. 

I want to start blogging again. I usually use the excuse that I don't have the time, so maybe my posts will be short.