What's the Point?

I'm sitting out in the patio on a beautiful May morning. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. My first cup,of coffee for the day tastes delicious. But as I sit in this idyllic, peaceful place, I wonder. "What is the point of existence, of all existence?" Surely there must be a reason for all this struggle and pain? Questions philosophers have asked over the ages, questions all humanity must ask at one time or another. Today however I have no answer. Today I can see the allure of a religion that offers that answer for really the first time.

Yes, if I could but believe that life on this earth is merely a testing ground for how well I lived out my allotted years and if I did well, I would be reborn into a higher caste or form of life! If I didn't however, the next life would be definitely more unpleasant. That would make the struggle worthwhile.

What about the belief in Ezekiel 37:5 that the righteous death would be raised on the last day. “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” That might make it worthwhile.

The Rapture, that idea that believers would be caught up in the air, followed by judgments on earth, and then the millennium, was first mentioned by the 17th-century American Puritans Increase and Cotton Mather. I could work really hard at being part of the 10,000 who are going to be swept up into heaven. That would really be a challenge!

Heaven, as portrayed in our current culture doesn't really appeal to me. The many mansions sound very much like the houses most of us live in or visit regularly right now. And while I have always wanted to play the harp, white is not my colour and sitting on a cloud all day sounds quite boring actually! Besides do I really want to meet up again with that kid who bullied me back in Grade One?

Some of our Fundamentalist and not-so-fundamental brothers and sisters will tell us that Jesus died for our sins, to make everything right with God, so that when we die, we will go to a 'better place', be in the presence of God. So why this intermediary stop-off then? Why not go directly there?

Of course people over the years have tried to get there directly. Which could be one reason suicide was frowned upon by the church until recently, and why suicide bombers take on their missions. ... No, I don't want to stake my life on that outcome either.

What about the 'prosperity gospel' preached by tele-evangelists? According to them God wants me to succeed in this world. All I need to do is support their cause and I will be blessed with money, success, good health and answered prayers. So my reward becomes part of this life ... very tempting!

However I guess I throw my hat in with Marcus Borg when he said “So, is there an afterlife, and if so, what will it be like? I don’t have a clue. But I am confident that the one who has buoyed us up in life will also buoy us up through death. We die into God. What more that means, I do not know. But that is all I need to know.” –Marcus Borg, 1942-2015.

Until then I just muddle on trying to live each day as if it were a 'day in heaven', a day in that kingdom of God that Jesus often spoke about wanting to bring about on earth. But oh, it would be so much easier on mornings like this if I could just believe in one of the other scenarios!

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NUDGINGS: a journey into the unknown

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