by Ray Newman, radio and television commentator, attorney, educator, author

Sunday, June 7, 2009

THE ETERNAL QUESTION, ANSWERED

The most frequently asked and unanswered question in the world is: "What is the meaning of life?" It is sometimes asked as "What is the purpose of life?", and though the words are different, the question remains at its core the same. "What is it all about? Why are we here? Is there a substance, a significance, to our lives beyond what we can see?" are all the same question. Who hasn't wondered about the meaning of life and felt somewhat dismayed and lost in the absence of a clear cut answer?

I began my quest for an answer by examining what people do...unique things that are done by humans, and humans alone...in the hope that the meaning of life may be found in the doing of life. Here is my list:

We discern beauty in the Universe.

We fashion our own identities.

We contemplate the unknown.

We poetically and musically express our feelings.

We care for other species.

We invent and create new beauty.

We celebrate.

What, I wondered, what the world be like without us, without the glorious arts and spirituality and devotion and honor and romance...and candlelights and helping hands and smiles?

Man is traditionally thought to be the last Creation for it is only man that perceives the world in all its splendor. There would be no rainbow without a human eye to see it, a human heart to adore it, a human soul to be exhilarated by it. Without man, things would be only what they are...a tree, a cloud, a waterfall, a sunset. With man, they become exquisite things of grandeur, and wonder, evoking feelings of significance and importance to existence...and to the treasure of the moment.

The answer to the eternal question is clear:

THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE IS TO
EVOKE THE MAJESTY AND MAGNIFICENCE
OF THE UNIVERSE...
AND IN THE PROCESS ILLUMINATE
ITS OWN GLORY

1 comment:

  1. What do you mean by complete? Does that encompass the "creating" part, because I think that's the really important aspect.

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