A CONVERSATION WITH GUTENBERG COLLEGE A Meaningful Life A Guide for Good How to Read a Book Fall 2018 2 –Ron Julian 6 –Eliot Grasso 7 (of the Bible) –Chris Swanson I am sure much more could be said, but let me stop here. We will feel that we have From the Editor truly meaningful lives if we are upright and without shame, if we benefi t ourselves and A Meaningful others, if we give and receive love, if we can work hopefully toward a desirable outcome, Robby Julian Life and if we can make a unique personal contribution to the world. Welcome to Gutenberg College’s Ron Julian The Bible on the Human Situation newest publication, Colloquy. With the Th e Bible has much to say about the human situation and how that relates to the possi- publication of Colloquy, we say goodbye bility of a meaningful life. Genesis tells us that God created human beings to be stewards to News & Views, the newsletter of want to live a meaningful life, and I over the rest of creation. And it is in that context that we are told God made men and McKenzie Study Center and then think you do as well. And (no sur- women in His image. God made us like Himself so that He could delegate responsibility Gutenberg College for thirty-seven prise!) I think that the truly meaning- over creation to us. Lots of animals are bigger and more powerful than we are. But God years. We hope the information it Iful life is found in the life of the Christian did not give dominion over creation to the grizzly bear or the tiger. He gave it to human conveyed and the articles it provided believer. The best life is the meaningful beings made in His image. Many things contribute to our being in God’s image, but served you well. You can still fi nd most life, and the most abundantly meaning- the most fundamentally important is that we can understand right and wrong and then of the articles on Gutenberg’s website, ful life is the life of faith. But why is that make decisions based on that understanding. God has qualities like goodness, generosity, www.gutenberg.edu. true? What is it about the Christian faith justice, and we have the capacity to have such qualities as well. And we can bring those A CONVERSATION WITH GUTENBERG COLLEGE We also hope Colloquy will serve you that makes a meaningful life possible? qualities to bear as we exercise our stewardship over creation. FAll 2018 • VoluMe 1, NuMber 1 well as it refl ects Gutenberg’s moving So, before we even get out of the fi rst two chapters of Genesis, we have a lot to think forward in the twenty-fi rst century Aspects of a Meaningful Life about when it comes to a meaningful life. Human beings have a relationship with their Editor Robby Julian while remaining fi rmly grounded on Th e meaningful life is one that is signifi cant, that matters, that contributes to a larger creator and with other human beings also made in God’s image. We have qualities that its foundational values, values like purpose. One thing that makes life signifi cant is how our actions relate to our sense of make us truly signifi cant. Th at is, we have the qualities of God Himself. It is so signifi - Colloquy team Chris Alderman, Katherine those Ron Julian writes about in “A right and wrong. We would like to believe that there is an “oughtness” to things. Th ere cant that we are made in God’s image that one of the fi rst commandments given is that Dewberry, Eliot Grasso, Erin Greco, Walter Meaningful Life.” is right, and there is wrong. And we can fi nd meaning in doing the right thing. To treat we must not murder each other. We can kill and eat a lamb, but we cannot kill another Steeb, Chris Swanson “Colloquy” [kol-uh-kwee] means people well is satisfying. To pursue goals that are not corrupt and evil is satisfying. With- human being. And what is the reason given? Th e other person is in the image of God. We Cover Photograph Erin Greco a “conversation,” and that’s what out a sense of right and wrong, our actions seem arbitrary and insignifi cant. And if we also have meaningful work as stewards over creation. We can work toward a meaningful Other Photography Erin Greco, Elizabeth we hope this new publication will violate our sense of right and wrong, then we are ashamed of ourselves. Actions that are goal. We can judge our actions by God’s standards of right and wrong and do what is Steeb be—a conversation between you and arbitrary or shameful feel meaningless. Actions that are upright feel meaningful. right. We can choose to do those things that bring goodness and health and fl ourishing Layout Robby Julian to the world. We can make things better. All of this brings great meaning to human life. Initial Design Many thanks to Gutenberg College that keeps you Similarly, we also see our actions as signifi cant if we are increasing the number of benefi - Oh So Graphic, www.ohsographic.com involved in the Gutenberg Community, cial things in the world. We fi nd it meaningful to promote health, contentment, learning, But, of course, we have to turn the page from Genesis chapter two to Genesis chapter a haven in our culture’s wilderness. peace of mind, and so on. Meaning and fl ourishing are related to each other. We would three. Th ere we read of the rebellion of humanity and the reality of sin and death, the Proofreaders Katherine Dewberry, Karen We want to tell you when Guten- like to believe that it is possible to fl ourish and that our actions can contribute to that two great tragedies of humanity. First of all, we are morally corrupt. We ought to love Peters berg ventures in new directions (see fl ourishing for ourselves and for others. If we feel that nothing benefi cial can be found, our creator with all our being, but instead we turn away from Him. We ought to love Distribution Katherine Dewberry “New Opportunities at Gutenberg”), and that nothing we do can benefi ts ourselves or others, life feels meaningless. Actions that our neighbors with the same care that we show for ourselves, but we are selfi sh instead. welcomes new faces (see “New Full- are futile or harmful feel meaningless. Actions that are benefi cial feel meaningful. And that moral corruption has led God to condemn us. Our end is death and rejection Colloquy [kol-uh-kwee] is published Time Faculty” and “A Few Words from by God. And so, in a very real sense, we have lost the ability to fi nd true, lasting meaning We also fi nd meaning from relationship. We want to think that we matter to others quarterly by Gutenberg College. in life. We cannot fi nd meaning by expressing through our actions the image of God in Gutenberg’s New House Managers”), and that others matter to us. If we were gone, we would be missed. And ideally, on the ourselves because that image is stained and degraded. And we cannot fi nd meaning by Gutenberg College off ers an or undertakes a new goal (see “A Guide biggest scale, we would like to think that the universe is not impersonal and indiff erent for Good”). And we still want to share working hopefully for a desirable goal because the greatest goal is to sustain and improve outstanding four-year liberal arts to us. It is very hard to fi nd meaning if we feel completely alone. To be alone and uncared education in the Great Books teaching from our tutors (see “How to life, and instead we die. for feels meaningless. To be loved and loving feels meaningful. tradition in an environment Read a Book (of the Bible)”). Now we come to one of the great themes of the Bible: God is our rescuer. We need We also judge how meaningful a situation is by its outcome. Ultimately, meaning respectful of biblical Christianity. rescuing from the two tragedies of human life: sin and death. And essentially, that is the But we also want to hear from comes not just from what we are doing at the moment but from what we are pursuing, Website www.gutenberg.edu story that the rest of the Bible goes on to tell. We need God’s mercy, so we can escape you. We welcome your responses to the goal that drives us. Hope is a hugely important contributor to meaning, even in the the judgment that we so richly deserve. And that mercy, in turn, will lead to restoration, © 2018 Gutenberg College, Inc. articles, your questions, and your topic midst of suff ering. Th ink, for example, of someone working for Habitat for Humanity. rescue from the death and moral corruption that robs life of meaning. Ultimately, the Permission to reprint in whole or in suggestions. Please send them to offi ce@ A group of people come together to build a house for someone who has no home. biblical story of God’s mercy and redemption culminates in the promise of the Messiah. part is hereby granted, provided the gutenberg.edu and put “Colloquy” in Th e people are working hard. Th ey are hot. Th ey are tired. Th ey are sore. But they are Th e Messiah will give His life as an off ering for our sins.