Author Robert Fulghum once wrote about a time when he was in Greece, and he heard a lecture by philosopher and politician Alexander Papaderos. At the end of the talk, Papaderos asked the audience if there were any questions. Fulghum raised his hand. “Yes,” he replied. “What is the meaning of life?” You can imagine the groans. But Papaderos had an answer. Fulghum writes:

“Taking out his wallet, he brought out a round mirror about the size of a quarter… and said, ‘When I was a child, we were very poor. One day, I found a broken piece of a mirror on the road. I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but that was impossible, so I kept the largest piece. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated that I could reflect light into dark places… It became a game for me to get the light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

“‘As I was growing up, I would take the piece of mirror out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game, but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light. But light – (that is) truth, understanding, knowledge is there – and will only shine in dark places if I reflect it. I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world, and perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of life.”

Reflecting on this, I’m reminded that the world around us is desperately in need of that light and love. I found Papaderos’ answer quite compelling and quite beautiful. 

Let us pray: Loving God, in Jesus you came as the light of the world. Shine your healing light upon us. Teach us to receive so we too might shine. Amen. 

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