Yesterday I asked you to think about whether you thought God had a purpose for creation and whether you believed God could accomplish that purpose. Spirituality is a very popular subject in our time. Unfortunately much of what people mean by spirituality is heavily self-centered. That is, they are seeking an experience that gives them peace or helps them feel in harmony with life. The search is understandable in an era when people feel the universe in which they live is so fluid. For many, if there is any reference to the Divine, it is referred to as a vague sense of a higher power.
The truth is that both the pursuit and the reference to a higher power are understandable. They are at least a vague image of what is natural for the human spirit. For us to find meaning in life, we need to believe that we are part of something larger than ourselves. We need to believe that our lives and what we do have significance. As I have mentioned, pale reflections of that need are found in our attaching ourselves to a sports team, a cause, or a nation. The problem is that these higher causes are not large enough to actually fulfill our human need. When our attachment is too strong, it can even become destructive to our own spirit. Witness fans getting out of control at a sports event, or a person losing all perspective in pursuing a particular cause.
Christians dare to suggest that there is a transcendent cause found in God’s purpose in creation. In Jesus life and teachings we see an embodiment of that purpose. In one sense, the beatitudes summarize God’s purpose. Ultimately this is how God intends for us to live as a reflection of God’s intention from the beginning. In a sense this is eschatology or a view of the end time. For Christians, knowing how it will turn out gives us a perspective on how we should live currently. This is Monday morning quarterbacking at its best.
