The point of life
I often wrestle with big questions that don’t have singular answers. The questions I’ve been asking myself lately are “What’s the point of life?” and “Why are we born just to die?” I believe that we all have individual assignments on Earth but I’ve come to the conclusion that collectively our duty is to love.
The dictionary definition of love is: an intense feeling of deep affection. The definition that resonates with me most is in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 : 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
While the dictionary definition is focused on what you feel, the Biblical definition focuses on how you act. The challenging part about loving is that it changes your being. You have to let go of your nature for love to flourish. Where you were inclined to make assumptions, love will make you ask questions. Where your nature wants you to be harsh, love will cause you to be gentle.
Love changes us. We can not fully experience life until we know love. Nobody is meant to die without ever changing and the best agent of change is love. By no means am I talking about romantic love only. When we hear the word “love” we quickly assume that it’s romantic. The love I’m talking about is the one found in family, community, friendship, work and every other aspect of our existence.
So maybe, just maybe, the point of life is to love. Maybe the only way for us to truly live is by loving deeply. And maybe love will open us up to the full human experience of joy, peace, hurt, grief, heartbreak, betrayal and even hate. For us to know hate, we must first know love.