Viewing entries tagged
purpose
He’s essentially come to the conclusion that life is meaningless and insignificant, so he recommends just enjoying it. As you hear him talk about the freedom and happiness he enjoys, you start to wonder whether it matters if life has any meaning or not.
Different versions of the following quote are attributed to Henri Nouwen. “We are not what we do, we are not what we have, we are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth: I am the beloved child of a loving creator.” After almost two decades as a celebrated professor at universities like Yale and Harvard, he went to work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It was only natural that he thought deeply about identity. I want to consider what we need to learn from this statement, what we need to clarify, and what’s wrong with the popular alternative to it.
In Luke 9:25, Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” He was saying that you can get everything you want but lose yourself along the way. You can do whatever you want, but you might not like the person you become in the process. More importantly, you’re not the only one who will evaluate how you spend your life. The Bible says that “each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Matt Perman suggests three principles for charting a life course that is both satisfying and meaningful.
The question gets phrased in a variety of ways. The rabbi, Harold Kushner, famously asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Many times, during our three-year struggle to build a parking lot I asked, “When we’re trying to do something good, why does it seem as if you’re making it so hard?” A couple of months ago, I was asked how the apostle Paul dealt with so much discouragement in his life. Throughout the summer, I have been mulling over these questions. Let me share what I’ve learned.
Seeing tragedy in his childhood challenged his views about life. Facing tragedy as an adult challenged the values that he lived for. And addressing tragedy in his life has given him the satisfaction that his heart longed for. Let me share three things I learned about tragedy from Sujo John’s life.
Painful feelings of disappointment and hopelessness can force us to re-examine our goals and the basis of our hope. Just doubling down on our hope and trying harder isn’t necessarily the solution.
