Meaning in *everything*

[brendan0]

Hello,

I think a lot about things, especially God, and his creation.

I was thinking about meaning today, as in meaning in all things. Now as mere humans, the universe can be difficult to understand. But there are smaller things we do understand. Now, if God created everything, and he has apurpose for everything, this means every little thing. Then surely there must be definitely meaning in all that is, even if cannot yet understand it.

So take the sun, many Christians see this as symbolic of Christ, the sun rising etc. Then this got me thinking about other planets, and th emeaning they might have, as in what God might be saying here and there, during eclipses etc.

So Venus sits in between the sun and earth, it’s beautiful oon the outside, but hellish underneath, the so called “angel of light” comes to mind. Recently Venus passed between the sun, what would this ‘mean’?

Also, there must be some meaning, even if we fail to understand it, behind every grain of sand, the reason why it’s there, and not somewhere else, it’s weight, it’s color, it’s shape. There must also be a meaning behind it is specifically there, and not somewhere else.

Thoughts?

 

[Dorothy]

I am in awe of God’s creation in all its details, but I believe the most important thing is getting to know the love of the Lord better through prayer, Sacraments, and reading of Sacred Scripture.

The most important meaning is that God loves us, and wants us to be with Him forever in perfect , ecstatic happiness. We have this short, precious life to know and love Him for that purpose.

 

[JonathonofOhio]

Sorry if this offends you, but the first thing that popped into my head when I read this was “42”

 

[tonyrey]

Welcome to the forum, Brendan!

I sympathise with your point of view because we are surrounded by meaningful objects, events and situations. But some things are meaningless because they occur by chance, i.e. by coincidence. When an earthquake maims and kills thousands of people and animals it serves no useful purpose. It is permitted but not willed by God. Sooner or later some one is bound to be in the “wrong” place at the “wrong” time. In other words
harmful combinations of events are inevitable in an immensely complex world. They are meaningless because there is no reason why they converge in time and space. Each event can be explained independently but not jointly.

 

[WillP]

Welcome to the forum, Brendan!

I sympathise with your point of view because we are surrounded by meaningful objects, events and situations. But some things are meaningless because they occur by chance, i.e. by coincidence. When an earthquake maims and kills thousands of people and animals it serves no useful purpose. It is permitted but not willed by God. Sooner or later some one is bound to be in the “wrong” place at the “wrong” time. In other words
harmful combinations of events are inevitable in an immensely complex world. They are meaningless because there is no reason why they converge in time and space. Each event can be explained independently but not jointly.

Meaning can be assigned to any event thing or circumstance. For example, suppose one found himself in a situation like that Wizard of Id character–the Spook–chained upside down to a prison wall. Even he could find a purpose or meaning to his horrific state He could come to believe he was serving a noble purpose or enduring an anguish for some greater cause.

People of faith find meaning in what they call redemptive suffering.

The concept is actually an aspect of existentialism as recognized by Albert Camus. Some may call to mind Camus’ Myth of Sissyfus (did I spell that correctly?)

Anyway, to huge extent, and, I suspect for as as long as we are subjected to our limitations as mortal humans, we all, to some degree, engage in a subjective and interpretative exercise to create meaning.

 

[fred_conty]

To see God in everything and everywhere is what those who loved God attempted to do every day. They are the saints of God.

To see God in the good that happens is easy. When a mother has a new born, God is indeed Good.

When a mother loses a new born, God is … good for the saint because the saint sees past the pain and looks at the beauty of God tho occasionally mysterious and ellusive.

St. Francis saw the goodness of God reflected everywhere and preached it.

It isn’t so easy to see God in our struggles or in the unpleasent events. But He is there just as He was there with Job.

The saints didn’t have any more of the answers than we do, just more love and therefore more understanding of God’s long term designs.

They considered themselves not as receivers but as givers like the Son of God. They were participators in God’s own goodness to be shared with others however they could. Even to the death of the cross for others. Losing thoughts about themselves, they found peace and joy in what they found in God.

Just a few meaningful thoughts.

 

[Sam_777]

To see God in everything and everywhere is what those who loved God attempted to do every day. They are the saints of God.

To see God in the good that happens is easy. When a mother has a new born, God is indeed Good.

When a mother loses a new born, God is … good for the saint because the saint sees past the pain and looks at the beauty of God tho occasionally mysterious and ellusive.

St. Francis saw the goodness of God reflected everywhere and preached it.

It isn’t so easy to see God in our struggles or in the unpleasent events. But He is there just as He was there with Job.

The saints didn’t have any more of the answers than we do, just more love and therefore more understanding of God’s long term designs.

They considered themselves not as receivers but as givers like the Son of God. They were participators in God’s own goodness to be shared with others however they could. Even to the death of the cross for others. Losing thoughts about themselves, they found peace and joy in what they found in God.

Just a few meaningful thoughts.