One of the main themes of this blog is the subject of longing and desire. You and I desire infinitely—without limit—and this points to and proves that God exists and is calling us. The way C.S. Lewis put it is this: If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
Along these lines, I would like to call to your attention a talk by Dr. Peter Kreeft on the Argument from Desire. A written summary of the talk is available HERE . There is an mp3 audio of both the talk and a question/answer session with the audience available HERE Be aware that the talk is a scholarly one and was presented to a largely academic audience. But the fundamental point of his talk is clear enough.
- Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real object in the world that can satisfy that desire.
- But there exists in us one desire that nothing in time, nothing on earth, and no creature can satisfy—a mysterious longing!
- Therefore there must exist something more than time, earth, and creatures that can satisfy this desire.
- This something is what people call “God” and “life with God forever.”
LONGING FOR SOMETHING? MAYBE IT’S GOD!
Among the apologists, philosophers, and theologians of our day, Dr. Peter Kreeft is one of the greatest. One of my favorite of his books is Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven But Never Dreamed of Asking . Other talks by Dr. Peter Kreeft are available HERE.
i took a quick look at the blog. i am not a blogger. i see myself very much as a part of the church, but, as a person of color, i could see one looking at the blog and saying, there is not a place for me in the church. while i know that is not true, i have this thought in mind that a younger, more media savvy person might come to the blog, see the faces of the authors and might not even read any text.
i also worry about another group of folk – we read about them in the metro section of local newspapers – they are not being educated eventhough they sometimes attend local schools – they never got the invitation to go to church – would not recognize the church because they have never met anyone who is living the sacramental life in marriage – they have never been to a science museum but have seen lots of death because their young contemporaries die on the streets where they live and they die prematurely – they see a building in the neighborhood with a cross on it but no one ever emerges from the building to introduce them to a life of grace
they are looking for something – we don’t often present them with the faith and hope of which the holy father speaks so eloquently and clearly in spe salvi.
“LONGING FOR SOMETHING? MAYBE IT’S GOD!” When a friend of mine first saw the title of this initiative on a bus billboard, she humorously said, “Hum, longing for something? Maybe it’s… CHOCOLATE!” She did not mean to be profane; I guess she was just hungry. Her response does offer us something important to reflect upon. Many people are searching for ultimate meaning, but often they settle for something proximate and which gives a quick fix. Some turn to drugs and replace otherworldly communication (prayer) and meditation with drug induced euphoria. Others have substituted sexual union, and the accompanying thrills, for a genuine communion with God and the spiritual rapture that knows no bounds. I suppose some try to find God in a bottle, and yet excessive alcohol always fails to deliver what it promises and forces a heavy toll upon us as well. Even physical food, which we need to survive, cannot come close to the promise of the Eucharist as our spiritual food and encounter with the living God. Every one of us is like a puzzle where our lives consist of putting the pieces together in the right places. Without God, an important piece remains missing and the perfection or wholeness is ruined. We were made for God. There is no need to wander aimlessly through this world. The Church safeguards the answers to the ultimate questions; Christ, himself, is the source of this meaning. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. The old children’s catechism did not hesitate to share the answer to the great existential question. Why did God make you and me? He made us TO KNOW HIM and TO LOVE HIM and TO SERVE HIM in this world and TO BE HAPPY AND GIVE HIM GLORY forever in the world to come. That is the long and short of it.