Meaning

January 25, 2026

Scripture:  Psalm 19

The heavens herald your glory, O God, and the skies display your handiwork. Day after day they tell their story, and night after night they reveal the depth of their understanding. Without speech, without words, without even an audible voice, their cry echoes through all the world, and their message reaches the ends of the earth…Holding you in awe, YHWH, is purifying; it endures. Your decrees are steadfast, and all of them just. They are more precious than gold, than the purest of gold, and sweeter than honey, than honey fresh from the comb. In them your faithful people find instruction; there is great reward in keeping them. – Psalm 19 (Inclusive Bible)

“It is through wholehearted living that meaning flows into our lives.” – Brother David Steindl-Rast

“…the neocortex of the brain…makes language possible and gives meaning to the word ‘meaning.’ It enables me to talk to myself and observe myself. It integrates current awareness with memory of past experiences and with the ability to imagine future scenarios. It organizes my experience in stories with beginnings, middles, and ends. It helps me think critically, creatively, and independently. Without the meaning committee [in my brain], there would be no Bach or the Beatles, no Galileo or Einstein, nor Moses or Mary or Jesus or the Buddha or Mohammed. It is the most recently evolved part of me, and frankly, it still has a lot of bugs and glitches that haven’t been worked out yet.”

– Brian McLaren, Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart

We humans are “meaning-mongers.” Our brains are wired to interpret the ordinary stuff of life in metaphorical ways so that we can make some sense of it all. We long for meaningful lives in which we are more sure about the direction of our lives and about what we are to bring to this world. We yearn for experiences that leave us feeling more fulfilled. When we are “on the lookout” for meaning in our lives, we live at a deeper level and mere existence turns into purpose.