Neither Here nor There

“Why are we here?”

Yesterday I posed this questions (read: I stole the idea from wise Tony over at Don’t Call Me Veronica) along with “How do you know that?”.

As I thought about my answer, I realized that “here” can mean many things. Oh there is a general “here”, an overall reason behind our existence. This idea has been debated by theologians, philosophers, and even musicians and poets. But what happens when you move from general to specifics, from grand schemes of reason to applicable moments of action?

“Why are we here?”

What happens when you start to look at all the different “heres”; a period of time, a job, a family, a friendship, or even a chance encounter? What do you do when your “here” takes on emotions, relationships, consequences, and faces? This is when the general moves to the specific, when theory becomes action.

“Why are we here?”

It took me a while to realize that “here” is both general and specific. Purpose isn’t just confined to the grandeur but also includes the minute. And sometimes we find our greatest reasons for being “here” in those tiny moments that slip away so quickly, in those random encounters with others, in the mundane and unremarkable. Sometimes we confirm the all-encompassing purpose by seeing the outworking of the individual moments.

“Why are we here?”

The other thing I struggle with is giving worth to the “here” of now, instead of the “there” of the future. I seem to live my life trapped somewhere in between “here” and “there”, always yearning for the “there” and forsaking the worth of “here”. It is an all too real struggle for me right now, as I wonder where I am supposed to be, what the future holds for me. I strain to see the end destination and yet I miss all the things along the road I’m now on. I’m forsaking the “here” for the “there” and not taking the time to answer the question of “Why are we here?”

So, “Why are you here?”