 Recently, on a recommendation from my pastor, I picked up the book, God and the Whirlwind, How the Holy Love of God Reorients Our World, by David F. Wells. Although I've just begun reading the book, I came across something that I thought was profound and wanted to share it with you in hopes that you'll benefit as much from the meditation on these topics as I have. After reading part of the first chapter, I decided to jot some of my thoughts down and somewhat of a paraphrase of some of the key points that I took away from the book. A paradox lives among us, and I want to begin to show you what this paradox is and what the book highlights as an important paradox that we should be aware of. You see the world thought that with more stuff, with better self-esteem, with more success, with easier living, at least in Western culture, that they'd be happier, that they'd be fulfilled, that they would find meaning, that they would cling on to purpose. But the paradox is that though life seems to be getting better in many regards in Western culture, we don't feel that way. In fact, we feel more depressed than ever. We feel sadder than ever. Emptiness is a very, very common occurrence within lives of people that are just searching for meaning. Stuff won't fulfill that longing for something more. You see, we encounter this paradox, it confuses and perplexes us. We ask, wait, we're getting all this stuff, we're having more success, life is easier, we're comfortable, and yet this meaning and purpose that our heart and soul still desires is still a ways off. We're still reaching at something and we can't figure it out. Why is this this way? Why is it like this? Why is life like this? We do all we can to make life work, and we hope that it'll work out and that we will find meaning and find purpose. And yet, many are left empty. This paradox seems to taunt us on the daily. On page 22 and 23 Wells in his book, God and the Whirlwind points out the implications of this paradox on the younger generation. Many therapists are now finding that this paradox has worked its way into the lives of those who come to see them. Among those are many who are younger. They often report that though they grew up in good homes, had all they wanted, went to college, perhaps entered the workplace, they are nevertheless baffled by the emptiness they feel. This paradox has severe implications on our lives. We try to make life work, we try to do all we can to have successful lives, comfortable lives, meaningful lives. And yet, we're left with nothing. We're left searching at something more. Something that moves beyond the temporary to the permanent. Something that moves from a mere moment to the transcendent. We look for meaning, and yet we can't find it. We ask who can reach into this void? Who can help us find clarity in this? Who can help us find hope in what seems to be a hopeless situation? We're looking for someone to speak into the paradox. Jesus spoke into this paradox in John 14 verse 5 to 6. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. So how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. When Jesus spoke, he pointed people to himself. He spoke of clarity, not confusion, of hope into a hopelessness that was so imminent. You see, when we wrestle with this paradox, at some point we are forced to look outside ourselves for answers. Because all we came up with was to do more, to try harder, to get more stuff, to get more selfish fulfillment, and yet we're left empty, so we're forced to look on the outside. And Jesus in the scriptures pointed to himself, look at me. And as Christians we are called to call others, to look outside themselves for the answers and point them to the way, the truth and the life. You see, when you wrestle with this paradox, you understand how inept you are at actually conjuring up this meaning that you're looking for, this purpose you're looking for. Because we come up short on every level. We cannot do it. We're looking for something transcendent and the only way to find that thing that we're looking for is to look outside of ourselves and look to Christ. You see, this is our calling. Just as Jesus spoke into this paradox, we also are called to speak into this paradox. There are so many people in our communities, even in our churches, in our families that are asking questions. They're wrestling with this paradox that they try their best and yet they're left empty. That they look for more things to fill themselves and yet they're lacking fulfillment. That they try to ease this guilt in their soul and yet they still feel guilty. Where can we find answers? Where can we find hope? And that's our calling as Christians to speak into this paradox, to bring truth and light into this question and direct people towards Jesus. You see, this is our calling to speak truth and life into the world, telling people to be born again, to show them where their guilty soul can be pardoned and where they can find true and lasting and transcendent hope, meaning and purpose. Are you going to point people into the direction of the only person that can satisfy their soul? The answer is yours, but your calling is clear.