Blog # 27 THE MEASURE

Blog # 25 THE MEASURE I remember one time being with a group of high school boys for a discussion on religion in our lives. Up at the front of the room, where I was standing, there was an ordinary table. After we offered a prayer, all of us sat down. I pointed out the table to the boys and asked if anyone had an idea as to how tall the table was. There were fifteen of us in the room. The table was there when we came in and would be there when we left. The truth as to the height of the table was already fixed. The designer and creator of the table determined that. It was up to us to discover it. We all agreed the table was a certain height, no matter how we might feel about it. Putlife

in place of table in our experience and it will become evident we were in a religious discussion rather than one that might occur in a shop class at school. Several boys came up and looked the table over. As opinions were given I wrote them on the chelk board. We ended up with seven different opinions as to how tall the table was. Some of the boys did not give an opinion. All who did were definitely sincere. We had a clear-cut problem on our hands - one table, fifteen boys, and seven different opinions as to how tall the table was. What could be done? I reached into my pocket and brought out a measuring rule. Now we could solve the problem. We had a measure for the table. It was thirty and three quarter inches tall. All agreed. Some had to add to their opinion to bring it up to the truth. Some had to subtract from their opinion to make it true. Then we applied all of this to our life. All of us were alive, obviously. But what is the meaning of life? What is life for? Does life have a single purpose? What is its purpose? What is true happiness? Will we live forever, or die the same as a cat? All of these questions about life are important. Different philosophers and theologians have looked at life and have answered our quesions differently. Some have said that life is for pleasure, for money, for popularity, or a combination of these. Some have said we will live beyond the grave. Some have said no. In order to arrive at the truth we need a measure. God the Designer and Creator of life has revealed the measure of our life in the life death and resurection of Jesus. But just as we have to ACCEPT AND APPLY a rule in order to measure a table, so we have to accept and apply the life of Jesus as the measure of our life. There is a certain element of risk in this. The answewr to all of our questions is love and love has to be free in order to be love. We do not know on our own all the answers to the question we ask about ourselves and our lives. That is why we need Jesus. He claimed to bethetruth, theway, and thelife. May He always and eveywhere be ourtruth, ourway,and ourlife.