Tend and Cultivate

Carl Jung once asserted that the central neurosis of our time is emptiness. Viktor Frankl echoed this when he wrote, “Clinics are crowded with people suffering from a new kind of neurosis, a sense of total and ultimate meaninglessness of life.”

This raises the question: where do we find meaning in life?

Years ago, I heard someone use the metaphor of tending to a garden. He said, to find meaning, he would do everything in his power to make sure that the area around him was well-tended, and that the people he came into contact with were well cared for. This included himself, and his own family, yes. But he also tried to ensure whenever he encountered a need personally, he would do whatever he could to tend to it. He was ever looking for ways to grow and thrive and to help people around him grow and thrive.

The point is, while we can’t be responsible for everything, we all have a certain area of influence. And, there can be great meaning in cultivating beauty and love in life.

Philosopher Will Durant put it this way, “To give life meaning, one must have a purpose larger than one’s self.”

Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap.”

Let us pray: Show us, O God, how we can add beauty and love to this life. Remind us that there are people all around us who could use our care. And then, Lord, as we give, as we serve. as we love, may we experience deeper meaning – and fuller life. Amen.