Living by dying
No man has any right to die until he has served his generation
From the moment we exited the womb, we start the process of dying. There is nothing more powerful than acknowledging that life as we know it will come to an end one day. Even after coming to terms with our mortality, we are left to guess how long it will be until we meet that fateful day. The mystery of that unknown should makes us think about one thing and one thing only
Why do I exist?
When I buy a sofa, I know the reason why that sofa exists. It was birthed (created) to be sat on, and even laid on. You don’t buy a sofa for any other purpose than to fulfill the reason why it was created. Once said sofa no longer provides the reason for its existence, it becomes useless. Useless things are no longer needed and are left to be discarded.
When it comes to humanity, what’s the purpose of our existence? OK, forget the whole humanity thing. Let me talk personally. Why do I exist?
I’m a Christian, which means I bow my knee at the Lordship of Jesus Christ. However, I know the smugness of my very own people that closes the door in the noses of people who struggle with faith and believing in the same faith we do. I’m not one of those.
I believe in the afterlife, but I’m not so heavenly minded that I throw myself and those around me under the bus. We exist on this planet, with people who surround us for a purpose. It’s more than just an eternal purpose in another earth and heavens and all that.
If there is anything that we have failed to do is appreciate the power of relationships. Even in scripture, there is only one thing more important than our relationship to our neighbors, and that is our relationship with God. And even that is weighted conditionally on how we relate and treat our neighbors.
None of us were created in some secluded part of this planet with trees and water and no humans in sight. We were created as part of a civilization. This means that the reason for our existence isn’t just about “me”. It’s deeper than that.
In my next essay, I will explore the urgency of relationships and how we, as a culture, have allowed them to fade to the background for personal gain.
