This title was taken from a quote from C.S. Lewis: “Suppose you really find him. We never meant it to come to that. Worse still, suppose he found you. If there is a God, you are in a sense alone with him. You can not put him off with speculation about your neighbor’s hypocrisy, or memories of what you read in books. What will all that chatter and heresy count when the anesthetic fog called the real world fades away, and the divine presence in which you have always stood becomes palpable, immediate and unavoidable?”
The definition of meditation is “to engage in thought or contemplation; to reflect.” In my own experiences, I’ve meditated little over life philosophies, the meaning of life, etc. Why is that? For me, and I anticipate for you, life is busy. I expect it always has been. No doubt, many of us run from here to there for work, for play, and sometimes both. Downtime is rare, and it seemingly is becoming harder to find with each passing day. What is worse, when some quiet time presents itself, we often utilize the time with our newest hobby, staring (like zombies) at our smart phones. With this business of daily life, who has time to sit quietly and reflect on one’s life purpose or the meaning of life? (sarcasm, hello!!!)
I’d like you to take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Do you believe in the Big Bang Theory, where energy to create the universe arose from nothing? Do you believe there is a timeless, supernatural power who created and controls the universe? What do you find is life’s meaning, and the purpose of your own life? Do you believe that within your body is a soul, or spirit? Are morals debatable or amendable, or are there “higher” morals that transcend time? These questions have been answered and debated since the beginning of time, with widely different conclusions.
Some, such as Evolutionary Biologist Stephen Jay Gould, determine that no “higher meaning” exists and we should derive our own answers to the meaning and purpose of life. He stated that “We are here because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago, has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a ‘higher answer’– but none exists. This explanation, though superficially troubling, if not terrifying, is ultimately exhilirating and liberating. We can not read the meaning of life passively in the facts of nature. We must construct the meaning of life ourselves, with our own wisdom and ethical sense.”
For others, the meaning of life is centered on seeing, knowing, and trusting in a supernatural being that has created the universe and its contents. In the Bible, the apostle John wrote “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Greek translation of word (that he used to write the text) is “logos”, which is translated in English to “word.” However, the word “logos” in that culture literally meant “the meaning of life”. Thus, John’s statement reveals that the life and teachings of Jesus Christ gives ultimate meaning and purpose to our lives, and unlike Dr.Gould, sees that a “higher answer” does indeed exist.
Certain occasions or milestones, such as graduations and anniversaries, often allow us time to meditate on our lives, our pasts and our futures. It’s a shame that we don’t take the time to meditate on life, its meaning and our purpose more often. I hope that each of us can put down the smart phone for a few minutes daily and contemplate these questions, and search for the answers, and hopefully find God in the process.
