SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PURPOSE OF LIFE ON EARTH
I hesitate to embark upon this topic. Far more penetrating and capable minds than mine have had their say over the years. However, I do believe that the knowledge Spiritualists have gained gives us a unique understanding of this deepest of philosophical questions.
Many different theories have been advanced and include the view that we share this Earthly life with others by design and by choice. “Not in complete ignorance, nor in utter nakedness but trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home …” (William Wordsworth – Intimations of Immortality)
Our impact upon the lives of others and theirs upon us are significant factors in determining the direction our journey will take. Because all life is spirit, it is not just humanity that has this impact. We should not isolate ourselves by focusing only upon our interaction with those who share similar bodies to our own.
Few commentators, except materialists, fail to accept the view that life is no chance event. Design and planning are all too evident in the complex and yet in many ways simple system of life in physical form. Where there is great divergence of opinion is in determining the relationship between life in all its forms and the Creator. Those who argue from the point of view of theology are constrained in their arguments by centuries of doctrine created chiefly to persuade or even frighten people into blind obedience. Obedience to rules designed to maximise the temporal power and influence of a particular religious group. Rules that deliberately, at some stage, ignored the evidence of the founders of those religions. Without exception, all religions before becoming sectarian, were built upon mediumship and communication with those in the spiritual world. Psychic gifts abounded among early Christians for instance but this did not suit the priests, theologians and administrators who grasped so eagerly at the opportunity to become the established religion of the Roman Empire. The latter wanted physical, temporal power and the wealth that went with it.
Those arguing about life’s purpose from the viewpoint of materialism, miss the point entirely. Their limited philosophy finds it impossible to conceive of any basis for life other than mere chance. Therefore, how can they possibly argue convincingly? Only by totally ignoring the evidence of Psychic Research and that of Particle Physics: Evidence that life is far more than what our five senses can perceive. Like the theologians, their training precludes them from accepting there may be other, perfectly valid ways to examine life and its purpose. Their arrogance blinds them to any possibility that physics might only be a partial study of life. This arrogance has unfortunately been compounded by the mystique with which science has been endowed by the general population: Those whose daily lives have been much eased by scientific and engineering ingenuity. It is just possible that as a consequence of the stance of science on the Covid pandemic, this mystique is undergoing a radical re-examination
Where does this lead us? Beyond doubt to a conviction that there is no substitute for seeking help from those in Spirit who are far wiser than ourselves. Also to guard against the temptation to claim absolute truth for anything. Human beings have a genius for complicating things. I read a story once that amusingly illustrates this. The devil was walking down Wall Street in New York City one day accompanied by an acolyte. At one point they noticed a human being ahead of them stoop down and pick something up from the ground. Having examined it closely, the human being began leaping up and down excitedly. The acolyte asked the devil what had happened. “Oh”, said the devil, “ That man has just discovered a piece of the truth”. “Aren’t you worried?” said the acolyte. “If he’s found the truth he’ll be able to see through your wiles”. “No,” said the devil, I’m not a bit worried. He thinks he’s found the whole truth and he’ll just organise it”
The wonderful thing about life and the natural laws that accompany it, is its essential simplicity. These laws are so perfect and yet so simple they need no adjustment. They apply through all time and in all circumstances. They complement our free will in order to ensure the orderly development and growth of the spirit power that is the source of all life. That spirit power, is so majestic in its breadth of influence and yet so simple in its operation because of its source: The power we call God. It is constituted so as to ensure its continued growth. The power of the spirit is not static but ever-changing. The ecclesiastical idea of an unchanging Deity who is the one constant in life, is totally misleading. Each of us is an indissoluble part of that Power. Though personalising it makes perception a little easier for finite minds, it would not be possible for a personal God to be all the things the power of the Spirit clearly is. If we are part of God, we cannot avoid having a direct influence upon that power. As a consequence, we can be considered co-creators, not mere pawns.
For me, life on Earth, though gregarious, is essentially a personal journey. It is about our individual spirit adapting to the control exercised over it by our five senses. The only spiritual growth we can be sure of is our own. We may influence others but the choice is theirs. What constitutes the true purpose of life here? In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien, wrote the following:-
Frodo, the ring bearer, said to Gandalf, “I wish the Ring had never come to me, that none of this had ever happened.”
Gandalf replied, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that has been allotted to us.”
What wisdom! Very little we can do can change what is happening in the world at large but we have complete control over changes within ourselves. In instituting basic, inner change lies our greatest influence.
We are personally responsible for producing change in ourselves through our action or inaction. Our decisions will affect others and may persuade them to make changes by presenting them with choices. Life is about choices. We cannot avoid them. Sometimes we choose to avoid making a choice at all and at others we make the wrong choice. No matter. To choose is the important thing.
By simplifying things and realising what we truly can control, we are meeting the true challenge of life on Earth. We must decide for ourselves what to do with and in our allotted time on Earth. Thus do we begin to understand it is the actions of the individual and the change brought about within each person that is the true measure of life. Each is an individual Spirit but we are also part of the Great Spirit or God and therefore we cannot act in isolation, much as we may pretend otherwise. In the words of John Donne, “ No man is an island entire and of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
The spirit within is a diamond. Our task whilst here is to polish that diamond until it sparkles as brilliantly as possible. What do we use for polish? Service to others - the thing Silver Birch described as the coin of the spirit.
Lionel Owen
March 2022
