Why A Series On Our Origin, Life, and Death?

I recently became intrigued by painter Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian painting which he titled in the upper corner in French: Where Do We Come From?  What Are We?  Where Are We Going?  (D’où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous). He intended it to be his last painting.  Much has been written about the painting’s symbolism.  Gauguin himself gave little help in that endeavor.  For me, the painting was more of a metaphor of a life that was represented by frequent disappointment and despair.  Matters worsened when in April 1897 he received devastating news from Denmark that his beloved daughter Aline had died of pneumonia.  In his letter he exclaimed, “I cry out: God Almighty, if you exist, I accuse you of injustice and malice.”  With this news he had reached the end of himself — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  He was preparing to take his own life, but before attempting to do so, he decided to paint one last painting.  It was to summarize the entirety of his personal life and experiences.  In a broader way, it was also to represent the meaning of human existence painted from the perspective of one who was about to come face to face with eternity.

Gauguin never found the answers to the questions which served as the title of his painting.  Having traveled many continents and experienced many cultures and religions he never found fulfillment.  Gauguin died with the answers still beyond his grasp.  Aside from a quizzical, natural curiosity for knowing the answer to “who I am and why am I here” there is the equally compelling need to find fulfillment and satisfaction.  Plato made the observation that human nature was like a leaky jar.  No sooner is it filled than it begins to empty.  For many of us, whatever it is that offers the power to deeply, and permanently, and truly satisfy is perpetually – like Gauguin – just beyond one’s grip.  Many things in life become the object of perceived fulfillment.  Careers, family, friendships, wealth, attainments.  In and of themselves these are all perfectly worthwhile.  Yet, ultimately they fail to absolutely filling the human void.  A philosopher once noted that when people have enough to eat they will then turn their mind to thinking great thoughts.  The problem of serious thought is that it inevitably turns to focusing on the haunting human theme of “emptiness.”  People naturally long for something that truly satisfies.

This message series traces the path of discovery of origin, life, and what lies beyond.  Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote that “to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”  That is often times true of our momentary earthly pursuits that have us looking for a more sustainable happiness.  Augustine of Hippo also affirmed this in the fourth century when he said “the mind of man is miserable and longs for happiness.  It can only hope for this because change is possible.”  What’s the answer to finding personal piece and lasting fulfillment is the focus of my six-part series.  To find the answer we’ll evaluate the context of our origin, human existence, and the meaning of life from the perspective of a conscious eternity.  And, suppose in the process our longing for fulfillment actually points us to something we have yet to serious consider or discover.