So, what's the meaning of life?

Ope Adeoye 2 minute read


During my "awaiting-result" months, I attended a crusade in Ilorin.

In that year, Pastor Isaac Omolehin was like the Pastor Adeboye of that little town. At the crusade, he shared a story that really shook something in me... Till today it still resonates.


A guy came to him for prayers so that he could pass JAMB. 

"Why do you want to pass JAMB"?, the good Pastor asked.

"Oh, so I can make it into the University", replied the young man; wondering if the Pastor was a tad distracted. Abi, what kind of question was that.

"Interesting...", said Pastor Omolehin, "So, why do you want to go to the University?"

"So that when I finish I can get a good job".

"What do you need a good job for?"

Now, the boy was getting perplexed. Wetin dey do this man? Anyway, he managed to answer, "So that I can take care of myself".

"Why is that so important? Why do you need to be able to take care of yourself?" The Pastor pushed further.

WTF!

"It's the right thing sir!"

"Okay, okay... after you have been able to take care of yourself, what will you do?"

"I'll find a God-fearing lady to marry sir", said the boy, confused.

The Pastor stared down at his shoes for a long while as if in thought... Then he asked further, "After that, what next?"

"We'd have good children that we would raise in the fear of the lord, Pastor".

This was getting ridiculous...

"After that..?"

"They would go to a good school too and graduate"

"Then..?", Mr Pastor asked.

"One day, they would get married too and go have children of their own"...

"This is great!, After that, what next...?"

At this point, it struck the boy what the Pastor was getting at.

And it struck me too...

Life seems to be just an endless loop of expectations and a pretty-much predefined maze that not a few of us just mindlessly follow; chasing after cheese that makes us want more cheese. To what end?

Even for those who have really lofty earth-shattering dreams, really; ask yourself, how many of those will significantly take the world forward in a noticeable leap? As in, really significant leap. The type that 1,000 years from now, the planet will still be glowing from it's effect.

I have no answer. 

Just ask yourself, as you dragged yourself out of bed this morning to the sound of the alarm clock (or is it alarm phone?), it's towards what end?

And that end, is itself towards what end...?