Life and Meaning

I’m reading a book a second time entitled “The Life of Meaning” by Bob Abernethy and Bill Bole. The foreword was written by Tom Brokaw.

Normally we ask the question, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ Well, the book turns that around to ‘the life of meaning.’ The difference is not subtle although it may appear so at first glance.

The book goes on to share interviews with 45 or so people who figure large in spiritual or religious circles. How do they live a life of meaning? What meaning is that? Do they practice that meaning in some way that defines a specific religion or theology? If yes, how so?

I’ve always wanted a life of purpose. What that purpose is/was/will be was not fully known. Sometimes I came close; most times not. The search for purpose, though, continued.

Life has moments of joy. The purpose of life, however, is not to fill life with the most pleasure. Pleasure and joy are not synonymous. yes, some pleasure is joyful. But joy for me entails so much more. The 'aha' moment of understanding a complexity is a joy. Helping someone learn something new is a joy. Watching people enjoy each other’s company is a joy.

Some would say sex is a joy; I would agree to a point, but life is not about sex. Life is about so much more than one thing. Experiencing life, knowing things, appreciating relationships – of people to people, and things to things, and people to things – is joyful, meaningful.

More basic is this – knowing my relationship to life itself is a joy and almost always elusive. It is a constant struggle to know. The effort is a journey looking for meaning and definition. The emotions and intellectual satisfaction take on spiritual dimensions. Theology comes alive in these moments, too. Suddenly my relationship with the universe and God become a focal point.

This may or may not be religion. Of that I really don’t care. What matters is the meaning and the purpose of that meaning. I need to share that with others. I need others to share their experiences with me. In that, fellowship is born and I need that.

Human experience may be felt alone but only in company of others do we become fully human. The purpose and meaning of life expand from there. Exploring this is meaning itself.

October 18, 2020