May 17 - Everybody Needs Purpose

Everybody Needs Purpose

            On the hit show, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” our loveable friend Raymond and his family attempted to explain the purpose of life to his daughter,  Ally.

Deborah:         Ally just doesn’t want to know how we get here; she wants to know why we’re here.

                        Why God put us on earth.  She’s waiting for Ray to answer her.

Frank:              What’s wrong with you – it’s simple.

Raymond:       Oh, okay – we’re going to learn the meaning of life from a guy who once threw his shoe at a swan.

Frank:              That’s called protecting your sandwich.  Listen to me.  Here’s what life is – you’re born, you go to school, you go to work, you die.  That’s it, that’s all!

Raymond:       We’re not talking about what we do while we’re here, dad.

Robert:            Yeah, the big question is why we’re here in the first place.

Marie:              I think Ally is too young to be worrying about things like this.

Deborah:         No, I ‘m proud of her.  I love it that she’s such an independent thinker.

Raymond:       If she’s so independent, why can’t she figure this out herself?

Deborah:         Ray, just get up there and tell her that God put us on earth to help each other.  It’s simple, it’s direct, it’s a good way for her to live her life.

Raymond:       What are you talking about?  That doesn’t answer anything.  What- are you telling me that God says, “Mmm, let’s see – what should I put there?”

Robert:            That’s your God?

Raymond:       Yeah.

Robert:            No way.  It’s got to be deeper and cool… “Hello, I’m God.”

Marie:              Keep going Raymond.  I think you’re a wonderful God.

Raymond:       Thank you.  So what did God say?  Hey, “I’m going to put some humans on earth, so they can help each other.”  Or, “I can just skip humans altogether and go hit a bucket of balls.”

Marie:              Oh, I know.  It’s all in the Bible.

Robert:            Ever  think about space?  What is it?  Is it really endless?  I mean if you had a spaceship, could you go flying and flying into space forever?

Frank:              Why don’t you give it a shot?

Robert:            No, I’m not kidding around here.  How could space go on forever?  And if it doesn’t, what’s at the end?

Marie:              Stop it Robert.  You’ll give yourself a tummy ache.

Robert:            What about the beginning of time?  What was it before that?  Before time – nothing?        

                        What is nothing?  How could there be nothing?  Doesn’t it bother anybody else?

Marie:              Now everybody, listen to me.  In the Bible, it says here, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Okay, okay, okay.  It might take me a minute.

Deborah:         A minute, more, Marie.  Scholars have spent their entire life trying to answer this question.  You’re not just going to flip through the Bible and find the meaning of life.

Marie:              “Oh, ye of little faith” – that’s in here somewhere, too.

Robert:            Did you know the fruit fly only lives one day?

Raymond:       Ah, are you okay there?

Robert:            One day.  What’s his meaning of life?  Maybe there’s no meaning of life for anyone of us.  Am I any different than the fruit fly?

Deborah:         Robert, the fruit fly doesn’t question why he’s here – that’s what makes us different.  I don’t know, maybe that’s kind of the meaning of life.  Never knowing the answer, but always wondering about it.

Raymond:       So God made us smart enough to know that there’s an answer, but not smart enough to figure it out?

Robert:            Come on!!!

Terry Risser

Consider reading the Word: