The Glory of Purpose

An Epiphany Meditation on Luke 5:1-11

Image by chanwit whanset from Pixabay

THE PULL OF PURPOSE

Human beings and cats are remarkably different from each other. This statement probably seems obvious and unnecessary, but recently I have been observing one rather amusing and attractive quality in my cats that I don’t seem able to share. They are completely unconcerned about whether their lives matter. They are unperturbed about their legacy, and their days show no signs of being devoted to some purpose that would give their lives meaning. But as a human, I don’t have that luxury. As James K.A. Smith notes, human beings are incurably teleological—we cannot help but ‘aim’ our lives at some end or goal. Whatever the specific targets we aim at may be, they are all part of a larger vision of what it means to us to flourish in our lives—and that vision then governs, shapes, and motivates our decisions and actions.^¹

This is not a bad thing. As George Bernard Shaw noted, we need a sense of meaning and purpose if we are to live a healthy, fulfilled, and joyful life:

This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.²

Having a sense of purpose brings many benefits. When we are working towards a goal, we are more motivated and creative, and our lives have a deeper sense of meaning. When the goal is something we believe in—especially when we know it has value for others as well—it leads us to feel that our lives matter. While we often focus on the human tendency always to ask, “What’s in it for me?” we forget that there is another question that is of equal or greater importance for our sense of well-being: “What difference do I make?”

Benjamin Zander, author, speaker, and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, notes the difference that a sense of contribution and purpose makes to even small details in a person’s life. After observing orchestral musicians he identified a ‘disease’ that he calls “second fiddle-itis”. String players, particularly second violinists, often feel insignificant in the orchestra, both because there are so many of them and because their parts are often duplicated by other instruments. As a result, they tend to develop a laxness in their practice schedules and performances. In contrast, first oboists are unlikely to stop making reeds or to miss rehearsals because their contribution is very noticeable. Zander observes:

In all my years of conducting, I do not believe I have ever known a first oboe to be late for a rehearsal. Is it because the oboe has to be there at the beginning to tune everyone to the A?³

WHEN PURPOSE GOES WRONG

As enlivening and life-giving as a sense of direction and meaning can be, there is also a downside to our human obsession with purpose. When it is combined with arrogance, narcissism, and the hunger for power, our sense of purpose can mutate into a belief that we are uniquely gifted and divinely called. Our purpose then expands beyond our personal desire for a good life and becomes a conviction that we alone know what is good for everyone and have the capacity to create the utopia which we alone can envision. Such hubris easily becomes twisted, evil, and destructive. We are all eyewitnesses as this dynamic plays out in our world right now.

History is full of examples of the chaos and authoritarianism that result when a sense of purpose goes wrong. Hitler’s nazism, the American doctrine of ‘manifest destiny’⁴, and the horrific apartheid policy in South Africa are just a few examples on a global and national scale, but distorted purpose can be equally destructive within small groups and communities, as Charles Manson’s ‘family’ demonstrates. Whenever an individual or group believe that their purpose demands that other people conform to their vision, it becomes damaging. When one person or group claims that their vision is inspired by God and entitles them to disregard its impact on those outside of their fold, it becomes evil. There is nothing in the Scriptures or in the teachings of Jesus that supports or justifies such arrogance, cruelty, and inhumanity.

THE CALL OF CHRIST

It’s not that Jesus never calls us to a higher purpose than our own well-being. The Gospel reading from Luke for Epiphany 5C, tells the story of Jesus calling his first disciples. We already know from Luke’s narrative that Jesus had a clear and far-reaching sense of purpose (See Luke 4:14-21). It did include other people and it did intend to impact the world and its systems and structures. But this vision of Jesus is often misunderstood.

When Jesus called his first disciples, there was no coercion. Luke’s unique perspective on these encounters indicates that Simon (Peter), James, and John had already heard Jesus preach and witnessed his miracles before the great catch of fish.⁵ While they had the option to refuse, something about Jesus must have attracted these men, and so they willingly joined the new alternative community he was creating.

Jesus’ vision was never to be imposed on others—he even told his disciples to leave towns where people didn’t want to hear their message (Luke 9:5.). And, while he sought to make a mark on the world, Jesus had no interest in world domination, political control, or creating a theocracy with himself on the throne.⁶ Rather, the way Jesus intended to bring his vision of a world of love and justice into being was through hidden, small, and seemingly insignificant actions, as many of his parables reveal. For Jesus, the glory in following the purpose of God is not to seek wealth and power to enforce God’s will on the world (he rejected that option when he overcame his wilderness temptations in Luke 4:1-13). It is to participate compassionately and generously in ordinary communities that uplift everyone so that goodness, truth, and beauty can ripple out into the world. As Marcus Borg writes:

Journeying with Jesus also means to be in a community, to become part of the alternative community of Jesus. Discipleship is not an individual path, but a journey in a company of disciples…And discipleship involves becoming compassionate.⁷