Of Existence, Destiny And Salvation

REFLECTIONS BY SAMUEL ADJEI SARFO

The nature of existence is a philosophical question that has dogged

humanity from primordial times. What is our role and purpose in life? Are we fated to conduct our lives in predetermined ways? Are we mere pawns in the hands of a higher power? Where do we go from here? In what time and space is our tryst with salvation, our meeting with God?

Religious pundits posit that mankind’s role here on earth is to glorify a higher being to whom we owe a debt of our existence. What is meant by this glorification is variously detailed in the bosom of sacred and philosophical writ. Within this writ, there is a convergence of thoughts about conduct, ethics and behavior that points to humankind’s unique purposes as distinguished from that of beasts. Beasts exist as a resource for other beasts; but humans exist as the crowning glory of nature-as creatures divined to be the best adornment of all creation. Being the best that we can be elevates our status beyond beasts, while being the worst that we can be diminishes us and equates us to them. The Bible itself accentuates this fact when it asserts that we are created in the image of God. The meaning of “image” here is important insofar as it cannot refer to the physical. The variegated nature of the human race, physique and appearances makes the meaning of “image” more metaphorical than literal, and it could only suggest the intrinsic quality, virtue or goodness we carry in our personalities when we make a choice to be the best that we can be. In short, we are on earth to embark upon a journey to be “in image” with the holy other. As we move forward and gather experiences and knowledge, as we form friendships, foster peace, perform acts of charity and extend goodwill to humanity, we build upon those characteristics and credentials that draw our image closer and closer to that of God’s. In the end, we become perfected in His image when we have done the most good to the most people for the most time. When we reach this moral pinnacle, we accomplish the purpose of our lives, which is to graduate into the spiritual pantheon of the gods through selfless acts of righteousness. At this point in our lives, our purpose is complete, our nobility affirmed, and our joy fulfilled.

The evolution towards this godlike state could not be the product of any predetermined future or an inescapable contraption of destiny. Admittedly, factors about which we can do nothing-like race and genetic blueprint- elevate or denigrate the outcomes of our best and noblest efforts. Sigmund Freud says anatomy is destiny….. But anatomy and the social context offers only a transient part of the exploitable potential of individuals. A far enduring part consists of the effort we make in life, and the use to which we put our natural endowments and the opportunities that come our way. In this respect, there is as much danger in natural gifts than there is in the lack thereof. There appears encoded in human nature a perfect proportion of opportunities and disabilities that constantly reinforce each other. An individual is as much likely to waste a sea of opportunities as he/she is likely to swim in it. And a person may well be motivated to better his or her circumstances as a result of the deprivation into which he or she is born. Riches and beauty may foster complacency and carelessness, while poverty and necessity may foster perseverance and creative invention. We are therefore masters of our destiny to the extent that each of us has been given the chance to improve ourselves and to reach our highest possible potential no matter what we have or lack. Each person is given according to his/her needs, and we could, if we so choose exploit our inner talents to the fullest extent of our desires. Indeed, we can re-arrange our destinies to suit our lives’ ambitious goals no matter how titanic our frustrations, because for every opportunity we consider denied or lost, there are a thousand others waiting to be tapped. We are therefore not what we are because of any immutable destiny. We are what we are because within a particular set of variable circumstances, we opted to act in certain peculiar ways to trigger certain unique outcomes. Throughout our lives, many such circumstances remain in flux, and will greatly influence the lives of individuals willing and able to exploit these intrinsic dynamics for good, for bad or for the ugly. What we are today is the result of what we have done with our lives these past years. What we will become tomorrow is simply the sum total of what we are doing with our lives today. To this formula of existence, there is none superior.

If we are not in the bondage of predestination, where does the discovery of our lives’ purposes and the full exploitation of our opportunities and potential leave us? The answer is the happier life, the fuller life, the purposeful life, the life lived with no regret, the life lived with the inner contentment that there is none better. Whereas this life might still contain its enormous challenges, it is the preferred life because it is relatively healthier and worthier. This state of existence then ought to be christened the human state, the apex of salvation, the apotheosis of all life. To the Buddhists, this state is nirvana-divine expiration, the end of samsara, the eternal relief from the painful cycles of life and death.

Indeed to be human is also a process. All our lives, we call each other human beings, forgetting that the present continuous tense of the expression suggests an effort in perpetuity, a search for salvation which can only terminate in death and the final fulfillment. We are all “beings” struggling to be, and our salvation is attained when we accomplish all our goals and cease to be.

All life is a nodule of completion, an autonomous narrative with a defined beginning, middle and end, an independent plot of existence and a separate package of experience. If we understand this, we will not look beyond the stars in order to touch the brow of God. Each of us will seek the essence of our lives right here on earth. Imagine a world in which all life is invested with a purpose, a world in which each person embarks on an odyssey with fate and a quest to influence destiny…..Such a life brings heaven and salvation right here on earth and saves all humanity from the delusional pursuit of a celestial venue in which we fantasize about a rendezvous with God.

Samuel Adjei Sarfo is a Juris Doctor candidate (Class of May 2011) in Houston, Texas. You can email him at sarfoadjei@yahoo.com.