What is the meaning of life
by my WW friend Rukasu!
by my WW friend Rukasu!
Good question. In fact, this is the question. I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed, it is a wonderful gift and many people waste it by getting swept away in materialism. I know I do all the time, and it is something that I struggle with. To clarify, this world and the things in it are not evil in and of themselves, but they are not the way they are supposed to be either. Sin is a very real reality, and it taints every aspect of our life and the world around us. I am blessed to live where I do, for many other places around the world are much worse off: both in possessions and in freedoms.
But back on track: We are meant to enjoy life. Life, many times, is frustrating, disappointing and terribly sad. Man oppresses man, beast kills beast, time never stops ticking and each step we take is one step closer to the end of something. On the other hand, many of us live at a standard of living that would have been incomprehensible just a few hundred years ago. We can have it all, yet we still become depressed or bored and then merely push our troubles aside and look forward to the next big thing that will make us happy. And when that thing no longer excites, well then we can always look forward to something else. That is our curse: we live too much in the future and not in the now. We are too busy arranging for our future enjoyment that we fail to enjoy our current state. And when we do enjoy our current state, it eventually leaves us empty. That's it? That's all there is? We distract ourselves from the uncomfortable reality that we do not have all the answers, that we do not know what happens when we do take that final step and that our current obsession is really very small and insignificant in the large scheme of things.
So where does this leave us? It leaves many of us with a dull, meaningless existence that we escape from whenever possible via movies, books, T.V., video games or vacation. Escaping makes us happy for a while, for it allows us to forget our problems and to forget ourselves, and to be swept into a new world without our problems. Still, entertainment is more than escapism: good stories resonate with us on a very deep level, they speak to us about our life. They force us to reflect, to put things into perspective and give us tools by which we can judge our current situation. Usually this happens after the fact, as a good story holds our interest and forces us to turn the page or continue watching. It is the connection that we feel to the characters or setting or themes which keeps us involved and drives us to reflect--reflect on the nature of reality, the struggle between good and evil and sometimes situations that real people had to face.
Stories are an important part of life, and almost all stories revolve around a protagonist or hero. Traditionally, the hero is an embodiment of the ideals of a culture, and exhibits the qualities that people hold in esteem. The hero quests after immortality, and because it is impossible for humans to obtain this physically many times the hero must win it through kleos or fame, so that his name will live on and be remembered. Even though life is hard, the dream of never-ending life is attractive. Other than Norse fatalism or Neitzschian existentialism, it is hard not to hope for something more, something better. Why? Because we have tasted it. Life is not only hard, it can also be glorious, thrilling, full of pleasure and sport. This is the dichotomy of our present existence. We live through the highs and lows, the ups and downs. Even though we may sink to the bottom of the sea, the dream of the mountain keeps us kicking upward. And if it has always been this way, should not it always be? Death is an incredibly hard concept to understand, for it seems like the negation of all that we know. The opposite of what we are. It is unknown. Therefore, immortality is comforting, it gives us peace of mind.
Many people believe that religion is the opiate of the masses. That people believe in God because it is the easy thing to do; he becomes their security blanket. This is true, but it does not change the fact that we will never be able to fill the emptiness in our lives with the things of this world--all the cars, money, relationships and vacations we want will not satisfy. We remain the same: the same wannabe hero searching for immortality and happiness. We will never find it unless we look to something greater than ourselves, something that can wash away all of the emotional crap that denies us joy. We feel guilty, we feel small, we feel like we are failures and sometimes we hate the things we do. But we can't change. We are stuck in the futility of life, and will continue to spin around in circles looking for anything that can give us direction and peace. I believe that only God can give us this direction and peace, he is the one who created us and he is the one who makes our lives worth living. We were meant to enjoy living: living in his presence and in his world that he gave us. We screwed it up, and ever since a separation has existed between us. We can't fix this broken relationship, he has to. And he has, in a very real and historical event. Not only does this allow us to find peace and contentment in every aspect of our lives, and therefore enjoy them so much more, but this also gives us victory over death. Where now, o Death, is thy sting? Life was supposed to last forever, it was supposed to be good, it was supposed to be enjoyed. We cannot fully experience these things in this current fallen state, but the promise of a new heaven and new earth gives me assurance that it will be once more.
That is much longer than I intended, and I am afraid there are many rabbit trails that I did not need to follow, but I hope that this answered your question more than danced around it.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity."
-Maximus Decimus Meriduis, Gladiator
But back on track: We are meant to enjoy life. Life, many times, is frustrating, disappointing and terribly sad. Man oppresses man, beast kills beast, time never stops ticking and each step we take is one step closer to the end of something. On the other hand, many of us live at a standard of living that would have been incomprehensible just a few hundred years ago. We can have it all, yet we still become depressed or bored and then merely push our troubles aside and look forward to the next big thing that will make us happy. And when that thing no longer excites, well then we can always look forward to something else. That is our curse: we live too much in the future and not in the now. We are too busy arranging for our future enjoyment that we fail to enjoy our current state. And when we do enjoy our current state, it eventually leaves us empty. That's it? That's all there is? We distract ourselves from the uncomfortable reality that we do not have all the answers, that we do not know what happens when we do take that final step and that our current obsession is really very small and insignificant in the large scheme of things.
So where does this leave us? It leaves many of us with a dull, meaningless existence that we escape from whenever possible via movies, books, T.V., video games or vacation. Escaping makes us happy for a while, for it allows us to forget our problems and to forget ourselves, and to be swept into a new world without our problems. Still, entertainment is more than escapism: good stories resonate with us on a very deep level, they speak to us about our life. They force us to reflect, to put things into perspective and give us tools by which we can judge our current situation. Usually this happens after the fact, as a good story holds our interest and forces us to turn the page or continue watching. It is the connection that we feel to the characters or setting or themes which keeps us involved and drives us to reflect--reflect on the nature of reality, the struggle between good and evil and sometimes situations that real people had to face.
Stories are an important part of life, and almost all stories revolve around a protagonist or hero. Traditionally, the hero is an embodiment of the ideals of a culture, and exhibits the qualities that people hold in esteem. The hero quests after immortality, and because it is impossible for humans to obtain this physically many times the hero must win it through kleos or fame, so that his name will live on and be remembered. Even though life is hard, the dream of never-ending life is attractive. Other than Norse fatalism or Neitzschian existentialism, it is hard not to hope for something more, something better. Why? Because we have tasted it. Life is not only hard, it can also be glorious, thrilling, full of pleasure and sport. This is the dichotomy of our present existence. We live through the highs and lows, the ups and downs. Even though we may sink to the bottom of the sea, the dream of the mountain keeps us kicking upward. And if it has always been this way, should not it always be? Death is an incredibly hard concept to understand, for it seems like the negation of all that we know. The opposite of what we are. It is unknown. Therefore, immortality is comforting, it gives us peace of mind.
Many people believe that religion is the opiate of the masses. That people believe in God because it is the easy thing to do; he becomes their security blanket. This is true, but it does not change the fact that we will never be able to fill the emptiness in our lives with the things of this world--all the cars, money, relationships and vacations we want will not satisfy. We remain the same: the same wannabe hero searching for immortality and happiness. We will never find it unless we look to something greater than ourselves, something that can wash away all of the emotional crap that denies us joy. We feel guilty, we feel small, we feel like we are failures and sometimes we hate the things we do. But we can't change. We are stuck in the futility of life, and will continue to spin around in circles looking for anything that can give us direction and peace. I believe that only God can give us this direction and peace, he is the one who created us and he is the one who makes our lives worth living. We were meant to enjoy living: living in his presence and in his world that he gave us. We screwed it up, and ever since a separation has existed between us. We can't fix this broken relationship, he has to. And he has, in a very real and historical event. Not only does this allow us to find peace and contentment in every aspect of our lives, and therefore enjoy them so much more, but this also gives us victory over death. Where now, o Death, is thy sting? Life was supposed to last forever, it was supposed to be good, it was supposed to be enjoyed. We cannot fully experience these things in this current fallen state, but the promise of a new heaven and new earth gives me assurance that it will be once more.
That is much longer than I intended, and I am afraid there are many rabbit trails that I did not need to follow, but I hope that this answered your question more than danced around it.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity."
-Maximus Decimus Meriduis, Gladiator
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