What makes life meaningful?

We have had a great day today at the Vineyard Conference. Ian stayed on for the evening seesion and I brought Ethan home. Last night I got to go to the first session. Mark Strom is talking through four big questions - 1. Who is Jesus and what has he done? 2. What does it mean to be human? 3. What is grace and just how radical is it? 4. If we have grace what is growth?

The first session last night on the first questions merits a post all to itself but I'm too tired to go there this evening. Today we had what does it mean to be human, which also led us to the quesiton - why do rugby forwards have no necks? - answer: so that they don't pass the ball (something to do with Plato and dualism and separating the divine element in the head from the wild beast that is the appetite in our guts - you had to be there!).

Anyway, I just wanted to throw out there one of Mark's observations - instead of asking what is the meaning of life, it is better to ask "What makes life meaningful?" (he was quoting a psychology professor called I think Mike Norris (nothing to do with St Paul's Auckland) or maybe Mike Morris, can't remember). The answer to that question that i buy into is - making and relating. We were made in the image of God - Genesis Ch 1- we were made to be creative, to leave our imprint on the world (not just our carbon footprint), to contribute,to leave behind stuff that did not exist before we brought it into being, to amplify and extend God's glory. The relating bit is something we hear more often - human beings were created for relationship. We can only experience the full ambit of human emotions and through relating to each other.

Here's the other point that I have taken from Mark's talks so far - Jesus, God the Holy Spirit do not intend to make us all into good Christians- the intention is to make us fully human - fully alive.