The first time he walked past me I barely noticed. I was deep into a biography of Teddy Roosevelt but my peripheral vision picked him up. The second time grabbed my attention from Roosevelt to this medium sized spider. I was sitting on our patio by a glass table with a four foot diameter. It is ringed by a white metal band so his small black body struck a good contrast. Five times he went round and round. He must have thought he was going somewhere but soon he was back where he started. He was like planet earth. Round and round our sun we go racing along at over 67,000 miles an hour and yet ending up at the same place a year later.
Without Jesus it would all be quite futile. Without Jesus it would be about 70 to 80 trips with as much meaning as my spider’s five trips. Perhaps we would think we were making a difference but really what would it be other than reproducing the human species to make more trips? A small percentage of us might be fortunate enough to live abundant lives and see our children and grandchildren do well but most of mankind has not done so well. Over 56 million of us died during WWII. Over 300 million died from Small Pox in the twentieth century. In 1919 Spanish Flu killed over 50 million. To this day malaria kills 2 million a year.
If we read Ecclesiastes we learn of Solomon’s despair about life and he had every material thing a man could desire. Lest I sound like Solomon let me lift your soul and let it soar to the truth that we are, according to Paul, sons and daughters of the Most High God and we are destined to forever grow more and more like our God. Now that is purpose.
Written by Roger Bothwell on July 5, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org