The Sacred in the Extravagant and Mundane
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I saw an article about young people still struggling with the meaning of life and the increase in suicidal ideation since Covid. Then, I found an article on Black college students and how those who turned to their faith thought less about suicide. These two unrelated articles reminded me of our Christian call to evangelism. Religion gives meaning to our lives. A life without purpose and direction leads to fatalism and despair.
In “A Good Life By a Thousand Experiences,” Thomas Oppong reminds us of the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” For people of faith, all our experiences are shared with God. The Holy Spirit moves in our midst and guides our experiences. It is easy to recognize and appreciate experiences with God when a fancy event goes as planned. God is also part of the daily experiences of life, making opportunities more meaningful.
Thomas Oppong calls the reader to realize “investing in experiences emphasizes the intrinsic value of life’s journey.” Please do not focus on “investing” as if you must save money and take expensive trips to the far corners of the world to find “intrinsic value” in your life. Instead, recognizing that God participates in our daily “journey” is an adventure worth celebrating. Life finds renewed meaning at each stage when we “live it,” “taste it,” and “reach out eagerly” for those divine moments.
Early in my ministry, I had a woman in a care facility paralyzed from the chest down. She was bedbound with little family support. She had her struggles but had more good days than bad. We’d become close enough, to be honest with each other. One day I asked her, “What keeps you going?” She smiled and said, “The staff.” I thought she meant they were nice to her. No, “the staff are in and out of my room all day. I am a good listener, and they often have life struggles. They can share them with me, knowing I have no way to gossip. Over time, they learned I genuinely care for them. Now, they think I care for them when we care for each other.” She is not on a traditional journey, but still one of great value. Each day, we can share an experience with God. Start yours today!