Who We Are and Why We Are Here

Recently I saw a question posted on Facebook that went something like this:  “If you had the opportunity to sit on a park bench and have a conversation with anyone in the entire history of the human race, with whom would it be?”  I reacted in disbelief as I read the answers people gave.  Here are some examples:  “My now-deceased grandmother.”  “My deceased Uncle Joe.”  “Michael Jordan.”  My history professor from college.”  “My kindergarten teacher.”  “My high school football coach.”  My brother who died in Viet Nam.”  “Abraham Lincoln.”  “Hillary Clinton.” 

While I don’t doubt that these people were sincere and would indeed have a memorable conversation with the person they chose, I was shocked that no one chose a biblical  or religious figure as their answer.    

For example, any of the following persons would really increase my heart rate and give me a huge dose of adrenaline if I were to sit on a park bench and have a conversation with them.  I’m putting these in quotes as if they were my answer to the question.  “Jesus Christ (let’s say immediately after he rose from the dead and before anyone else saw him.)”  “The Blessed Mother (after she had her conversation with the Angel Gabriel and before she left Nazareth for her visit to Elizabeth.)”  “St. Peter (immediately after the experience of the Transfiguration.)”  “St. Joseph (soon after the birth of Jesus and after the visit from the shepherds.)”  I could also add St. Paul, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Apostle, and a host of others.  I’ve always thought how incredible it would be if I could be a “fly on the wall” in any famous scene in the New Testament.

I continue to be amazed at how secular our culture has become.  Few people seem to think of God or their eternal destiny these days.  I admit that I’m not perfect in that respect either.  We get so caught up in our everyday lives (our work, our families, our extra-curricular activities, the local and national news, etc.) that we don’t think enough about who we are and why we are here.  We are God's special creation and we are here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be happy with God in heaven.  It is so important to take a breather from time to time and just sit back and think about God and his creation, to read, to pray, and to consider where we are headed in terms of our eternal destiny.  

My prayer for today:  Lord, please help us to keep you uppermost in our minds so that we may strive to please you, to praise and glorify you, to give you thanks for all the precious gifts we have received from you, and to aim for heaven as our ultimate future home.  Amen.