I believe that there is an all-powerful, infinite God who is the creator of all life, and that for all humans, there are two meanings or forms of life. First, we live in the material world of time and space, our conscious life. But secondly, I believe that God has gifted each one of us with a soul that has eternal life. So these two forms of life and the relationship between them is the mystery that we – all humans – constantly concern ourselves about... and even have wars over!
Trying to understand the relationship between the present life that we are living in the material world and the spiritual life that never ends becomes the purpose and practice of religion. And these various practices of religion - or conscious rejection of these practices – have become a universal presence and role in everyone’s life. The fundamental question that we seek an answer to from religion is, “How does our life after death – the ongoing life of our soul – depend on our life being lived now?” Is there a relationship? What is it?
To complicate this further, unlike the “souls” of all other living things, we humans are gifted not only with a soul that will never die but with a free will accompanying that soul while we are alive on earth. So, we go through life exercising choices in a way that the other living things do not. Another fundamental question that we look to our faith to answer is, “How does the exercise of free will play a role in the relationship between this life and the next?” Those of us who profess to be Christians have faith in the person of Jesus to help us build a belief system that answers these questions. We believe that the meaning of life is found in Jesus, the Son of God! And the message of Jesus has been described as the Good News.
Here is the Good News: Jesus is the Son of God, who revealed his Father to me as loving and merciful; a Father who tells me that I am beloved. He also assured me of life after death. My practice of faith is to follow Jesus and practice the golden rule that is shared by all faiths: to serve others and treat them as I want to be treated. I try to act with respect, empathy, and tolerance. I exercise the gift of free will in good ways and sometimes in bad ways, for which I seek God’s forgiveness and mercy.
So the meaning of life is to love others and practice free will in loving relationships that support that goal. This was succinctly said years ago in my Baltimore Catechism in second grade when the following question and answer captured the meaning of life:
Q: Why did God make me?
A: To know, love, and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.