What is the point of the various activities in my life?

You don't ask what the point of the various consonants or vowels you articulate is. You don't even stop to ask the purpose of each of the words. When someone says, 'I will always stand by you', it is the sense that is conveyed. That is the substance of the communication, not the actual words. Life consists apparently of an endless series of activities, like the consonants and vowels of speech. The point lies in the substance not the form. The point lies in the love that is conveyed. Furthermore, the point of an individual life is neither here nor there. One does not ask what the point of a particular cell in the body is, and understanding the point of a particular organ does not give a clue as to the purpose of the person. Similarly, if you can't see the purpose of your life, do not worry. You are part of a humanity that operates as a single organism, and that organism has a point, even if you cannot see, feel, or understand it. That is where faith in God comes in, in other words trusting that there is a purpose. We intuit a purpose, because the proposition that there might not be a purpose is offensive to basic instinct. This is a different question than understanding the purpose. The cell does not understand the purpose of the life of the person in whose body it is contained. The removal of the cell might apparently not change the ability of the person to fulfil their mission, but the removal of all cells would: each cell therefore has its place in the overall purpose. My function is only to fulfil my function, which is instructed by God through prayer and meditation.

Comments