According to current statistics, there seems to be an uptick in interest for the things of God. Young people especially, seem drawn to the more liturgical churches that practice prepared forms of prayers from antiquity. The desire to reach back to a time of transcendent mystery. These places that once were bleeding congregants because many found it confining, rote and empty. They stepped away into what they considered freedom from constraints, liberty to explore another path. Traditions be gone.
For kids who have grown up with no foundation for something greater than themselves and their own ambitions, the ground can begin to feel somewhat formless. Oh, there are wisps of purpose along the way – – find romance, go to college, have some fun. But at some point, those vaporous wisps are often just not enough to hold onto. They are vignettes in a life, traces of momentary meaning.
Any observer of culture today can see the spectacle playing out in living color. Meaning and purpose are at the core of all this confusion. There seems to be two very clear, notable paths that have emerged. The intense protest against numerous causes, and those who are looking up, pursuing the Sacred. Causes will come and go on the winds of public opinions, drifting on the currents of the bombastic hot air from the Talking Heads. There will always be something to foment fear, anger, uncertainty all whipped into a fever pitch.
On the other hand, the Sacred is spiritual, unaffected by the shifting winds. Once the foundation is cemented in the Creator of the universe, the meaning and purpose of life become substantial, weighty. The Sacred Scriptures reveal the complete and beautiful story. The purpose and meaning of our existence is to know God and enjoy him forever. “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.“ Proverbs.9:10. Fear in this context means reverence for the Sacred One. When a soul comes in humble recognition of their inability to truly explain the majesty of the universe with its unending cosmos, something is awakened. There is the complexity of the human body, with its intricate network from head to toe, replenishing and repairing itself daily. Then, the overwhelming love parents feel at the birth of their child. We don’t have complete answers for these mysteries, try as we may. AI may advance some of our knowledge, but AI is man-made. It’s like the fashioning of the ancient wood and stone idols. The same wood that fed the fire to cook the food was chiseled into a god. We are God-made. We are still trying to plumb the depths of our being. We may create robots to perform like humans, but they will never have a soul. They may mimic a soul, but they will never possess one. A soul is God-breathed. This is the knowledge that brings understanding.
The Scriptures tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. With Jesus came the way: The revelation of the Holy One. The Truth: “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme overall creation.” Colossians.1:15. The life: he has come to reconcile humanity, you and me, to himself. It’s personal. It’s the authentic Sacred Creator, stretching out his hand for restoration with a heart of love. It is here, in his presence, where our humble hearts find our meaning and purpose.
So let the cultural whirlwinds spin with fury. The soul that is grounded in the knowledge of the Holy One can rest knowing the times are in his hands.
“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”
Isaiah 40:28 NLT
