Something Missing

 

As I approached this house, for the life of me I could not guess what had been placed on the sidewalk. It clearly was not the typical chair or table set out for trash pickup on Monday morning. The shape was strange and the height tall. The closer I came, the stranger it seemed. Even when I drew near, it took me a moment to register the identity of the mysterious object. It was a cat thing.

Not being a cat person, I have no idea what the proper name would be. But I think the idea is that cats climb and sit and scratch around on this elaborate piece of furniture. Perhaps it spares the homeowner’s upholstery, carpet and sanity. Or, maybe it is just fun for the cat.

As I walked away, I thought of how this object was in tact and seemed to be fully functional. All it needed was a cat. Everything else was there for it to fulfill its purpose. But without the cat, there was not anything else for it to do. It couldn’t double for an end table or serve the purpose of chair. No, this was a piece of furniture in search of a cat.

Sometimes we humans can find ourselves in the same spot. We pretty much have it together. We are capable. We are in relatively good health. We have a strong work ethic. We do what we have been asked to do and fulfill our obligations. But something is missing. We can live under the shadow of feeling that, in spite of all we have and all we do, we are a person in search of a purpose.

Jesus teaches, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

In all our uniqueness, we all share the common purpose to love. To love God. To love our neighbor. To love ourselves. When we live a life defined by love, we find fulfillment at the deepest level. All the other things we do become the means through which we love. Our work. Our relationships in community. Our generosity toward the stranger. Our compassion toward the hurting. When we fulfill this purpose, not just our own life, but the lives of others, are blessed.

Peace.