Like a Fish Out of Water

            What is the meaning of life?  John, the Gospel writer, addresses this thought in the opening words of his account of the life of Jesus. John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the word.” That statement might not grab your attention, but it packs a punch in the original Greek language.  Let me unpack this tantalizing idea that amazed John’s readers. When John wrote, “In the beginning was the word," he used the Greek Logos.  Thus, the Greeks would have read, “In the beginning was the Logos.”  To them, the word “Logos” was a philosophical term.  Greek culture was one that adored story-telling and the debating of ideas, and one of the most common discussions was about the meaning of life.  The Greeks loved to ponder questions like these: What is the reason for our existence? What were we made for? They could see that a fish was obviously designed for water and that when a fish was taken out of water, it would die.  A fish experiences real freedom, real purpose, and real satisfaction when it lives in the environment for which it was designed.  This would lead the Greeks to consider: What were we designed for?  Another way to ask that question:  What is the “Logos” of life?  With this question they were asking: What is the purpose and meaning of life?

            Here the genius of God (who inspired John to write the words of John 1) comes into play.  As John writes about Jesus, as John introduces Jesus to his readers, he begins with this powerful word, "Logos." John was speaking to a world that was questioning the meaning of life, and he grabbed their attention by saying that Jesus is the meaning of life.

            Our world asks the same question today.  Modern culture is desperately searching for purpose. Sad to say, many people have been brainwashed into believing that there is no real meaning to life.  When our children are taught that we exist because of some evolutionary, random accident, the result is that they are stripped of purpose and meaning.  When we forget we have a Creator who made us with a purpose, we become like a fish out of water.  How many people gasp, struggle, and even die (metaphorically speaking) because they refuse to live in the environment for which they were created? The message of the Gospel of John is that we have life in Jesus.  Jesus is the “Logos," the reason and purpose of life.  Jesus leads us back to God.  Jesus gave His life to restore our relationship and fellowship with God.

            So many in our world today are fleeing from God and fleeing from the purpose He has for them.  Real freedom, real purpose, and real satisfaction are found when we surrender ourselves to God.  It is ironic that we live in a world that has more “stuff” than ever before.  There is more worldwide wealth than ever before.  Technology offers more cures than ever before.  Yet we are surrounded by more despair than ever before.  More people resort to being “medicated” in order to cope with life.  Truth be told, this world needs to hear and embrace the message about Jesus: In the beginning was the Logos — the meaning of life.  Let us allow the light of God’s truth to shine into our hearts and minds so we can find true freedom, purpose, and life.  Keep looking up!