The Answerer

Thank you for a truly great question. Many ‘groan-ups’ never think of it, but it is very important to think about.

I guess that because I believe in God, ‘The meaning of life’ involves Jesus and life after death because we humans are only here on earth for 70 to 80 years. Not very long really if you realise that Moses and Elijah ‘came back’ and were with Jesus for a little while and talking with him. Peter, James and John saw them talking-and Moses had been dead for a thousand or more years,and Elijah for over 500 years (see Mathew Ch.17 Verses 1 to 9). It is interesting to note that Jesus told the three disciples. “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” (v.9) ‘Wow! What’s he mean?’ I wonder what they thought of that? So, life after death has indeed, got a lot to do with the meaning of life.

If a person does not believe in God, then, as one of my ‘rellies’ said: “When you die you’re dead and that’s the end.” I guess that means you are like an animal in the wild: a buffalo, zebra, bird,a rabbit or a camel and so on. It dies and the body decays and only bones are left.

I believe that man (people) have a living soul, put there by God and a spirit too. This is tricky to understand: man is three parts: body, soul and spirit. God made us that way: the body is what you can see, our soul is who we are in our thoughts and behaviour and these can change as we grow up and our spirit is the immortal ‘God’ part that goes to God when we die. Our soul and spirit and very much ‘one’ in that my dictionary says: soul: ‘spiritual and immortal part of human being’ and: spirit:’life principle animating a body’.

When we die our ‘earthly remains’ are buried in a grave; or as some people like, cremated and their ashes kept for remembrance sake, mostly in a container called an urn, or are sometimes scattered over that persons favourite place like the sea or a forest.

So, I believe that we are born onto this earth to learn about everything we can, including God, having a wife or husband with a family and living a good useful life and be prepared for death to be in heaven with Jesus after we die.

While living here,I believe we should learn to have common sense, love (true care) for others and to leave this world a better place for us having been here. Look up at the sky on a clear night: “Who made the 400 billion stars up there?” (that’s our galaxy The Milky Way). There are thousands, or maybe millions of other galaxies as well. Who, or what, caused them or made them? We humans are really only a very small spec on an exceptionally beautiful planet, in an ordinary ‘Solar system’ in a corner of The Milky Way. Yet, God’s son came here to show us the way, die for us and guarantee a place in heaven – if we want it. That is ‘Good News’ indeed. I often wonder is there life in other galaxies. Are we (us) the only living souls in the whole universe? I think ‘No, there must be others.’

A very popular song in the 1950s (when I was young) was ‘Nature Boy’ sung by popular guy named Johnny Rae. Two lines I recall were: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return.” Jesus also said as much to his 12 disciples “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John chapter 13: verse 34)

To ‘love’ someone does not mean you have to like that person. It means you treat them like Jesus would have you treat them, with compassion and fairness.(‘love’ has at least four other meanings). I think that I can say truthfully: ‘love is the foundation of the whole Bible, God’s love for his created children (us).’

Finally dear reader: God gave us a sense of humour – laughing at something funny. Do look for good clean fun because laughter produces endorphins in our body and they are very good for your health and mental outlook. That has been proved true by scientists:eg. “What did the hat say to the necklace?” “You go on ahead and I’ll hang around.” And: “What did the shorts say to the shirt as mum put them in the washing machine?” “I’ll see you on the clothes line – that’s where we hang out.”