IDENTITY: Who We Are and Why We Are Here-
- A Journey of Discovery
INTRODUCTION: The Universal Condition
If you’ve ever wondered who you are and why you are here, you’ve not alone. None of us know the answers to those two questions when we’re born, but over time we want to know!
We’re all born with “issues”. Some of us might have physical issues, but all of us have mental, emotional, and spiritual issues. These erupt over time into “heart problems”. For example, that "little boy pout" which seemed cute when we were young, has developed into full blown selfishness and anger problems. Or, our childhood grabbing, becomes possessiveness and greed. No one has to teach a child to be selfish, or naughty – it seems to just emerge from us over time.
To add to our problems, we’re born into a family whose members also have issues. They can affect our lives – sometimes for good; but often compounding the issues we already have. Some time after we turn 16, we start getting asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Or, “What would you like to do with your life?”
Our culture and environment shape those responses so that some of us shoot high and others of us stay low. By the time we are 20 years old and should know something of our identity, we find ourselves stumbling around trying this and that. And, by this time, our heart problems have gotten worse.
All of us are searching for “something” – we aren’t quite sure what –but for something to fill the hole within us. Every new experience and thrill fills it temporarily. But then, like a crack in pottery, the “full” becomes empty as the thrill leaks slowly away.
The search for truth, meaning, and purpose goes on for all of us whether we’re aware of it or not. And with that search, comes the hope and expectation that we’ll discover……
OUR IDENTITY: Who We Are and Why We Are Here
Next study: Part 1-Our Family History and the Universal Problem
Back to: Identity: Table of Contents