joy – Anna Sojourning

What is Mankind’s Purpose?

Posted on 11/09/2025 by Anna

If meaning came from satisfaction of basic needs, such as food, safety and physical pleasure, the question of meaning would, in itself, be meaningless. In such a universe, one could silence restless philosophers by feeding them. Many people do seek ultimate fulfillment through physical comfort. They seek pleasure through lifestyles centered around such things as accumulating possessions, focusing on their bodies, trying to maintain happiness at all times, but these so commonly fail to provide significant or lasting meaning that clichés such as, “Money can’t buy happiness,” are coined.

I should clarify that I don’t equate finding meaning in life with happiness or fulfillment. I would define happiness as an experience of pleasure at a given point in time. Martyrdom may be deeply meaningful to a person, but it’s certainly not a happy experience. Fulfillment or a deep sense of well-being encompasses other elements in addition to a sense of meaning, for example, the need for belonging to a group, for relational intimacy, to have value as a person, or a sense of purpose and productivity. Such elements are separate but interwoven, and if any of these elements are missing, most people will experience some negative impact.

Many of the most famous philosophers, despite coming from vastly different spiritual backgrounds, cultures and upbringings all came to what is in essence the same conclusion: that it is possible to find meaning in life, and that a meaningful life is one which pursues virtue. In other words, that which is meaningful in life must transcend mere meeting of physical needs or impulses.

• Plato referred to an objective called “eudaimonia,” “the good life,” which is what humans must strive for in order to be truly happy. Greeks philosophers believed everything has an “arete,” “virtue” or “excellence,” which is what gives it value. For example, a knife’s arete is its ability to cut well. Plato believed a human’s arete was virtue, which encompassed qualities such as wisdom, courage and justice.

• René Descartes said, “The supreme good consists in virtue, which is a firm and constant resolution to use the will well.” In a letter to Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Descartes presented his personal definition of “virtue” as being “a firm and constant resolution to carry out whatever reason recommends without being diverted by [one’s] passions or appetites.”

• Immanuel Kant likewise believed that human beings had a higher moral calling he dubbed “Categorical Imperative.” Kant believed that moral laws are universal and are centered around acting in the benefit of mankind.

As can be seen, it has been widely believed through the ages by different philosophers that a “meaningful” or “good” life (I believe the two terms are synonymous) comes from virtue, and therefore seeking to be virtuous will bring meaning to life. This virtue has included the idea of moral and ethical standards that apply to mankind as a whole, not unique to an individual or a particular society. An example of such a virtue is that of acting for the benefit of mankind even at the expense of one’s personal benefit. This is an indication that virtue is an objective concept which can be studied. Therefore, seeking to understand virtue, where it comes from, what it is, and implementing it into one’s life will bring meaning into one’s life.

I concede that my argument begs the question of the nature of virtue. The philosophers I have mentioned widely agreed on what encompasses virtue, and that it includes temperance, courage, justice, and wisdom. Plato believed these to be the four cardinal virtues from which all other good qualities stem. While applied in different ways, Plato’s cardinal virtues are held on a basic level in every culture throughout time, as far as can be known in history. This coincides with Kant’s idea that morality can be universally applied. Therefore, one can reasonably believe that there exists some form of objective morality. If this is the case, then it deserves to be studied.

Going a Step Further

A virtuous character is widely defined as, “How you act when nobody’s looking.” The pursuit of “good” behavior alone, the legalistic following of socially proscribed rules and ethics, however, may lead an individual to follow a set of dogma over the well-being of his or her fellow man. This may be seen, for example, when a soldier carries out the commander’s orders, but in doing so, commits atrocities against others. Virtue, then, becomes virtue only in relationship to others. To people of faith, “other” also includes God. The term that Christians would use to summarize the philosophers’ emphasis on virtue as following standards that apply to all people, for the good of people, carried out in relationship with people for their good, is “love.” Whether or not someone believes in God, most people will find themselves empty and dissatisfied if their sense of virtue doesn’t lead them to form healthy relationships with other human beings. This can be obtained by virtuous living as defined by acting in consideration for others. Therefore virtue brings life meaning insofar as it helps us to have healthy relationships with others.

From a Christian perspective, virtue must first connect a person with God in a loving relationship. God provides them with an objective standard of morality or virtue applicable to all mankind, and provides a model through His own actions. From a theist’s perspective, the belief that there is an omnipotent, benevolent God present in our lives with whom we can have a relationship is of great importance.

Lewis’ philosophies often echoed that of Blaise Pascal. Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Pascal had some rather odd theology from a Christian point of view, but from a philosophical standpoint, I agree with his view that a relationship with God (by a conventional Christian definition) is the logical conclusion of what gives life meaning. Further, if someone believes in an afterlife and the immortality of the human soul, then that brings a deeper level of meaningfulness to our relationships in this life.

C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark.” Lewis believed that the meaning of life was in the pursuit of what he called “Joy,” a sense of wonder and fulfillment, which could only be derived from knowing God. In The Weight of Glory, he wrote, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

A little girl once wrote Lewis’ friend and colleague, J.R.R Tolkien a letter asking, “What is the purpose of life?” Tolkien’ answered’s reply was, “So it may be said that the chief purpose of life for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks.” His reasoning was that if the Creator of the universe made us with a purpose, knowing Him would reveal to us all meaning.

Delving into the beliefs of these philosophers, it can be deduced that the answer to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” is simply to have a loving relationship with God. Our textbook asks, “Why has God created us, and why us in particular? What does God expect from us? Some people think that God created us as something special, not only ‘in His own image’ but with a mission to accomplish for him here on earth. But why would he do that, if he can do anything?”

The only thing God cannot do (from a logical standpoint) is to force us to love Him, because love cannot, by definition, be forced. He created us with the potential to have a relationship with Him for our mutual joy. We engage in this relationship in much the same way we engage in human relationships. We can talk to God (via prayer), listen to Him (via meditation and the study of scripture), and act out of consideration for Him (which entails acting out of consideration for the other people He created). Christians, specifically, consider a relationship with God to be based on love, which offers a sense of security.

Nihilism

An opposing view would be nihilism; the belief that life is without meaning. If life is without meaning, it’s very strange that we should even question it. For what purpose would the human organism evolve to have a sense of existentialism if our lives had no inherent meaning? Nihilism as a philosophy contradicts human nature, which is strange in and of itself if nihilism is true.

The idea of nihilism can be a comforting idea to fall back on, because it means that the individual can simply choose a purpose for life as it happens to suit the person in the moment. Hedonism is a logical conclusion to come to: if we choose life’s meaning, why not live to indulge our every pleasure?

But imagine a society where everyone took that concept to the extreme. There would be no inherent value to acts of charity, helping others, or even common courtesy. A society of nihilists would be a society of incredibly self-centered and rude or even abusive people, and would quickly become dysfunctional. The only logical reason that a nihilist would not ignore others’ boundaries in order to please self would be fear of some sort of retribution.

The most emotionally intelligent and well-liked nihilists are those who take pleasure in being kind to others. If the nihilists who derive their meaning from acts of virtue are the most healthy, sociable and fulfilled, isn’t that rather telling? Thus, exploring the inevitable outcome of nihilism brings one back to an inherent sense of virtue.

A Side Note

I would strongly differentiate between what makes a person’s life meaningful and what gives them value as a person. A person who goes out, does remarkable works of charity and has lots of healthy relationships might have a “fuller” life than an antisocial couch-potato, but that does not necessarily mean they are more valuable as a human being. This premise of inherent value comes from my Christian theology and the belief in souls, but others may make the same argument stemming from the human capability for empathy and compassion. Anyone who thinks their value is in how well they put virtue into practice will inevitably end up feeling burned-out and weighed down by guilt, as none of us can live up to our ideals.

Conclusion

These are reasons for concluding that virtue is an objective concept which brings meaning to life as a means of developing healthy relationships, and subsequently, healthier societies. Virtue does not equate a human’s inherent value, but it simply gives a sense of purpose and fulfillment. A relationship with God is the ultimate source of fulfillment.

Sources:

Plato – Dialogue form | Britannica. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Plato/Dialogue-form#ref281699

Reporter, E. (2022, January 9). René Descartes: The Meaning of Life — Virtue, Mind & Doubt. https://excellencereporter.com/2022/01/09/rene-descartes-the-meaning-of-life-virtue-mind-doubt/

Noa Naaman-Zauderer. (2015). Virtue. Cambridge University Press EBooks, 747–753. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511894695.255

Johnson, R., & Cureton, A. (2004, February 23). Kant’s Moral Philosophy. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy;

Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/

Clarke, D. (2007, August 21). Blaise Pascal (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford.edu. Blaise Pascal (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)Lewis, C. S. (2012). Mere Christianity. William Collins.

Lewis, C. S. (2009). The Weight of Glory.

Pascal, Blaise, 1623-1662. ( 1966). Pascal’s Pensées. Harmondsworth, England :Penguin Books,

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1981). The letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin.

Church & Ministry Life, Faith and Hope, Love & Relationships, Social Issues

Christians Responding to Religious Trauma

Posted on 12/07/2024 by Anna

Searching “Religious Trauma” online opens up a slew of heartbreaking stories of people who have been deeply wounded by various churches. When someone is mistreated by a religious community, it can seem evident to born-again Christians that the perpetrating community in question does not actually understand or teach scripture. However, saying something like, “It doesn’t sound like that church believes the gospel or knows Jesus.” Will often be met with, “You say that, but I’ve had bad experiences in all the churches I’ve been to. Christians are just toxic.”

It’s definitely worthwhile to reflect upon how healthy a church’s dynamic is and how they impact their community. However, it’s simply not true that all churches are toxic and dysfunctional. Why, then, does it feel that way to many people?

Churches are supposed to be safe places.

Many, if not most people expect churches to be safe places and it comes as a terrible shock when someone encounters wrong teaching or bad behavior from church members, especially ministers.

Ideally, smaller church congregations would operate as loving families, acknowledging other congregations as being united with them as part of one, global church. This is the dynamic shown in the New Testament with the first churches springing to life. When a church congregation or denomination tolerates sin or bad leadership, Christians may become disillusioned with their community and start having negative associations with anything relating to church.

Churches are made out of people, and people can be terrible.

Everyone is bound to hurt someone else sooner or later in any group of people; whether it be a family, a circle of friends, a workplace, or a church. That’s simply the nature of relationships. Granted, everyone should cut abusive relationships from their life, but it’s impossible to find a circle of people who always act like Jesus.

There are cases when someone is mistreated by a fellow church-goer, and the best course of action would be to simply, “let it go,” or else talk about the issue and seek reconciliation. Instead of that, sometimes a person may choose to hold on to the wrong done to them and allow it to skew their outlook on the church as a whole.

Many churches have genuinely gone off the rails.

It is a sad reality that there are many, many religious communities in existence who have lost sight of the Truth, relying instead on stale tradition or worldly impulses. Such communities are sure to breed immorality such as gossip, shame, self-righteousness, and never-ending conflict. There are churches which are cultic, run authoritatively by narcissistic ministers. These communities shouldn’t come as a surprise to us, however, because the Bible itself warns against them.

The proverbial “wolves in sheep’s clothing” comes from Matthew chapter 7 when Jesus said in verses 15-17, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.”

What are examples of good fruit from a church congregation? That would be “The Fruit of the Spirit” – the signs of the Holy Spirit at work.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

–Galatians 5:22-23

When people present themselves as Christians and abuse others, it can ruin a person’s perception of God, just like an abusive relative can ruin a person’s perception of family. If a church congregation is not centered on God, we won’t see the fruit of His Spirit. We’ll see a congregation constantly wallowing in everything contrary to the Holy Spirit: fear, hopelessness, anxiety, selfishness, evil, unreliability, harshness and intractability.

A person who has spent many years in an environment such as this may take many more years to un-learn what they have been taught to think God is like. Being immersed in a perverse community which taught them falsehoods about God and His word can be traumatic to a person, and they can only be approached prayerfully and with compassion. We may desire to speak truth to a religiously traumatized person, but we must be careful to do it in the right way with God’s love.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

–Ephesians 4:14-16

Responding in Love and Compassion

@cheekymisfitt
its a struggle 🙃 #altchristian #christianweeb #fyp #christiantiktok #religioustrauma #christianity #jesus #prayer #worship
♬ original sound – shelbz ✟⊹⁺

Once when I was a child, I was visiting a farm and another child provoked a rooster. That rooster lashed out at me and left a big gash on my knee. To this day, I still feel apprehensive around roosters. Someone could point out that I only ever had one bad experience with a rooster, but some level of anxiety still remains for me. Telling me that “Not all roosters will attack you,” doesn’t help.

Trauma can cause prejudiced or globalized feelings towards an entire group of people. Someone who grew up in a dysfunctional church may genuinely feel that all churches have unhealthy dynamics. Such a person may not be ready to hear about a healthy Christian community because even the mention of church spikes their anxiety. Telling them “your faith is in people, not in God” won’t take away their pain or negative associations with religious institutions.

Understandably, a person who has been sexually abused may struggle in maintaining a romantic relationship, or they may be apprehensive of sex. However, though countless people have been sexually abused, that doesn’t mean that sex itself is evil. Likewise, though someone may have been abused by someone in a position of spiritual leadership, that doesn’t mean that Christianity is something to fear. But it will certainly take time for an abuse victim to heal.

The greatest tragedy is when a dysfunctional church has skewed someone’s perception of God. If someone has had a traumatic experience in church, it’s not our job to “save” them. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job. Trying to humanly convince a spiritually traumatized person that belief in the gospel leads to joy and freedom from shame will probably be a fruitless endeavor. The kindest things Christians can do for people who have experienced religious trauma is to offer a sympathetic ear and, above all else, pray.

Life as a Foreigner

Having Family Everywhere I Go

Posted on 12/02/2023 by Anna

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:20

One would think that with so many Christian denominations in existence, the central beliefs held by each group would differ astronomically. It’s the most uncanny thing, however, that even when setting foot in an entirely different country Christians find kindred spirits. There’s something electric about worshiping with a congregation of another culture. There’s a miraculous understanding which transcends language.

When I first met my husband, there was an inexplicable chemistry between us. How is it that two people who grew up in cultures as different from one another as night and day could feel as though their souls were cut from the same fabric? How is it that we share the same values, even though they differ from those around us? My husband’s parents love me and encouraged our relationship because of our mutual relationship with Jesus.

“Why do you want to marry me?” Amith once asked.

I answered, “Because your spirit understands mine.”

Culturally, my husband and I have more in common than not because of our citizenship in heaven, whatever citizenship we may hold on earth. Problems arise when either of us adheres to the world’s culture rather than our true citizenship.

An Indian lady once asked me if I struggled with the way my husband prioritized his mother over me. I explained to her that we’re both Christians, and the Bible says to prioritize one’s spouse. She was surprised and impressed by this information.

When problems arise, there’s always the same God we can look up to and ask for help. When I meet a brother or sister who only speaks a different language than me, we have the same Bible, the same message, and that gives us understanding. I’m thankful to God for the connections He gives us as His children.

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”

Ephesians 2:19

Life as a Foreigner

Expat Depression

Posted on 21/10/201619/09/2025 by Anna

Lately I’ve been feeling down because of a sense of loneliness. Although I have good friends in spots in different parts of the country I’ve been living in, I’ve struggled to make close friends where I’m living.
I sent a message to another expat who has had more on-field experience than me, and this is what she responded:

1) It’s not your imagination about relationships [here] being on the surface — people here are very insecure […] not discreet about each other’s “heart issues” and gossiping is rampant

2) Spiritual warfare is ramped up and the opposer knows just how to amplify the intensity of the acculturation and discourage you from the calling on your life

Actually, during those episodes I really learned what it meant to be the friend of God. Jesus is a friend, but I don’t think up until I experienced that level of loneliness that I knew what it meant to be His.
During very hard times, when I could only get through the day hour by hour (if not minute, by minute) I would seclude myself in worship. Like literally. There was a school of worship nearby and I would walk there and sit/walk/talk/dance/lie down/kneel in God’s Presence until I could feel the oppression lift off and I was renewed in my hope, only then would I dare to get back up and walk back out into the “field”…and I always felt much better. My go to is always praise/worship.’

I am emotionally at this point as I adjust to living in a new country, and as depression is my weak point. I know many of my fellow expats experience the same thing. The enemy is going to use your adaption process to try to discourage you from your calling. Here are some of Satan’s lies:

It will always feel this way. It won’t! You have entered into the hardest phase of the adaption process. The good news is, this means that you’re moving along. As you work your way through this it will get easier.

There is something wrong with you for experiencing this. This is normal, so normal that researchers have described the pattern and books have been written about coping with it.

That you’re inadequate, you can’t be useful and successful here. God has been preparing you for this all your life and He won’t stop now. It’s His work through you, and He crosses all cultures, all life transitions, all of our deficiencies. No fear, just trust, calling on Him for help, and He will fulfill His purpose in you and through you.

Tips for good feelings management:

-> Acknowledging them and not guilting yourself. Tell trustworthy people about them.

-> Stay engaged with supportive people who can understand.

-> Taking mental breaks, like going for walks and talks with a friend or loved one.

More suggestions:

1. Vent through journaling and/or sharing with a trustworthy loved one, or some other way of expressing your feelings which won’t be a negative influence on others.

There is a difference between venting and sharing. Venting is unedited emotion that isn’t necessarily reasonable, it’s just letting off steam. Sharing is expressing a situation with more openness to discussing it and maybe problem-solving. Sometimes you need to vent to get to a place of readiness to share.

Venting can tire a listener out, especially if they feel somewhat responsible for the other’s discomfort. Sharing usually bonds people closer.

2. Remember that you don’t have to be a different person to live in another country.

Just like when you wear a bathing suit and act casually at the beach and but wear much more formal clothes and behaviour at church, you are always the same person, but you choose different clothes and different behaviours in each situation. In a sense, you are learning how to tie and wear a cultural sarree. It will take practice and a lot of help at first, and you will get frustrated, but it will get easier, and you still can wear your “old clothes” in some situations.

3. Remember that God uses everything for your good, including this.

So rather than trying to fight off the feelings, when they come, ask God to use them effectively in your life to deepen your relationship with Him, and to further equip you for His service. See these feeling as a tool He’s using and ask Him for wisdom in how to get the most out of this experience. Ask Him to carry this load of feelings for you when it gets too heavy for you.

4. Observe what you’re experiencing and processing like an outsider would, and document this.

Then you will be able to understand and support someone else one day. If you have to go through it, don’t waste the opportunity to maximize your ministry opportunities from it!

5. Continue those mental breaks from processing all of this.

Intersperse your day with things that are relaxing or fun for you or that challenge you, things that distract you into another space for just a little while. My mom recommends having occasionally having a supreme, all out, extravaganza pity party. If you like writing, try to write it out. It might sound like this,

“I hate my life. It’s not worth living. Why? Because so-and-so does not approve of me. Yes, I know that I am dearly loved by God who takes care of me in every way. I am dearly loved by my husband, my kids, my parents, and a bunch of friends. They would enjoy me and talk to me any day. I have a comfortable house, a safe living environment, more food than I can eat, good health, an education, freedom, a good job, and money to buy things I don’t need. There are 7 billion people in the world. But this one person won’t make eye contact with me. My life is utterly ruined!”

See how that works? You must take it very seriously, how bad your life truly is. It’s a lot of fun. You can even invite a friend to your pity party via email. Their response may not be quite the weeping and gnashing of teeth that your life difficulty deserves, in fact, some responses I’ve received in the past have led me to believe that my friend was actually laughing at me, but then, you can just add that to the tragedy of your life.
“And, I can’t get no respect!”

6. Exercise every day if you can.

Take care of your body, my friend.

7. Eat! Eat! Eat!

Oh, wait, that only results in tight pants. But do make sure you’re getting enough protein and iron.

8. Even though your feelings are a result of an explainable circumstance, circumstances can trigger endogenous (genetic) depression that needs medical help to re-stabilise.

Check in with a mental health therapist if feelings continue and keep you from preforming normal activities, or if you find yourself becoming increasingly forgetful and “spacey.”

9. You’ve been through difficult times with difficult feelings before.

Remember back to what helped you get through those times — and do some more of that.

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

—Psalm 25:14-15