Who am I? And why do I live?
Who am I? And why do I live?¹
Question
Who am I? Why did I come? Why do I live? And why do I die?
Answer
This subject could have a book written about it. But I will try to answer your questions very briefly…
1– Who am I?
You are a human being, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), and you should preserve this divine image. And you are a living being, having a rational soul whose life does not end with death, but continues. And you have a conscience that distinguishes between good and evil, and is enlightened by the Spirit of God who dwells in you (1 Cor 3:16)… And you are distinguished by the mind from all other earthly creatures, and by what this mind contains of understanding and perception…
And by your mind and the freedom of your will, you are responsible for your actions: first before God, second before your conscience, and third before the society in which you live.
And your responsibility is followed by reward or punishment in eternity, after judgment before God.
2– Why did I come?
From the goodness of God is that He granted you the grace of existence. From His generosity and His bounty, He gave you the chance to exist, to enjoy life here on earth, and also to have a chance for life in eternal bliss—if you want, and if you do what makes you deserving of that bliss.
3– And why do I live?
You live in order to fulfill a mission toward yourself and a mission toward others, to enjoy God here, and to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8). And also in your life you test your will, and the extent of its inclination toward good and evil. For your life is a period of testing through which your worthiness for the Kingdom of Heaven is proven, and the degree of your eternal life is determined… so you must understand your mission.
And why do I die?
You die so that you may move to a better life… to “what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor 2:9)… And you also move to a better fellowship, the fellowship of God and His angels and His saints. So death is not annihilation, but transition.
And you fulfill it, and you become a cause of blessing for the generation in which you live. And the stronger and more beneficial your mission is, the more glorious your life becomes on earth and in heaven…
If your life were to continue on earth, remaining connected to matter and united to the material body, this would not be for your good. But your good is to move from the life of matter and body to the life of the spirit and eternity, and to be with Christ, which is far better (Phil 1:23). Therefore the saints longed to depart from this body… Those who fear death are the ones who are not prepared for it, and do not trust that they are moving to a better life… or those who have earthly desires they do not want to leave!!
And a person dies because death is good for the universe. It is unreasonable that people should live and never die, and generations follow after generations while the earth cannot contain them, and the elderly suffer from the burden of old age and need someone to serve them, treat them, and carry them. Therefore a generation dies to give a chance for another generation to live on earth and take its place in everything…
¹ An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Year 18 – Issues 7 & 8 (2–3–1990)
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