Two weeks back I had the privilege of moderating a panel discussion in the community. The topic was “Living with Purpose - Perspectives on Life and Death,” hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Each speaker had 15 minutes on the topic above to share through the lens of a particular worldview. The audience garnered insights from Islam, Christian, Indigenous and Secular Humanism perspectives. A deeper value emerged as each speaker then shared their own experience with the topic and the belief system they were presenting. It moved the conversation from academic and theoretical to lived experience. Each sharing hard-earned insight on finding purpose in this life.
It reminded me very much of the prism image shared in my previous column (Cochrane Eagle, June 12 edition). Each individual offering a shaft of light emanating outward. All unique frequencies on the spectrum. There was a vulnerability in the sharing - an honesty, a recognition that each of us is on our own journey to discovering purpose.
When directly asked, “What is our purpose?” two common themes surfaced. The first - that each of us is here in this time and place for a reason. Whether by divine edict or the random aggregation of universal matter. The invitation for each of us is the same - to make the most of every moment, as if it were a gift. The second and related to the first, is to live with love for those around us. Recognizing that our lives are not our own.
Reflecting on the Q&A question, “What role does community play in helping us find our purpose?” The significance of this question for me traces back two years when I was challenged to be a panelilst at this very event. Invited not to put forward my own religious or philosophical perspective, but challenged to bring forward the position of another - of secular humanism. I knew my fellow panellists would be speaking from decades of knowledge and experience, and I knew very little about this worldview. I was nervous to commit, yet very much trusted the individual who put my name forward. I trusted his care for me and his commitment to helping me step into my full purpose. So I accepted the invitation to look beyond my own beliefs and experience and immerse myself in the worldview of another. Through some web search and use of ChatGPT, not only was I able to deliver a meaningful representation of this position, the exercise deepened my understanding and empathy for those around me who live from this perspective.
At the end of the day, community dialogue like the one above is not about debate or attempts to convert all to a single view. It is about strengthening our capacity for empathy, acceptance, and holding space for the journey of others.
Our call to action is simple (simple, but not easy). What if we all adopted the motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at: “Love for all, hatred for none”? What if we each committed to helping one other person find their purpose in this world?
We would all be better for it.
