Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Man's Search For Meaning


“Fifteen hundred persons had been traveling by train for several days and nights: there were eighty people in each coach. All had to lie on top of their luggage, the few remnants of their personal possessions. The carriages were so full that only the top parts of the windows were free to let in the grey of dawn. Everyone expected the train to head for some munitions factory, in which we would be employed as forced labor. We did not know whether we were still in Selesia or already in Poland. The engine’s whistle had an uncanny sound, like a cry for help sent out in commiseration for the unhappy load which it was destined to lead into perdition. Then the train shunted, obviously nearing a main station. Suddenly a cry broke out from the ranks of the anxious passengers, ‘There is a sign, Auschwitz!’ Everyone’s heart missed a beat at that moment. Auschwitz—the very name stood for all that was horrible: gas chambers, crematoriums, massacres. Slowly, almost hesitatingly, the train moved on as if it wanted to spare its passengers the dreadful realization as long as possible.” p. 22

These words can be found within the opening pages of Victor Fankl’s now famous book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” I first read the book more than 30 years ago as a senior in High School and the images painted by Frankl were then and still are beyond any horror film that could ever be produced. Frankl was a practicing psychiatrist when he was taken prisoner by Hitler’s forces and dispatched first to Auschwitz and then to various labor camps. Frankl recounts the story of his imprisonment from the perspective of an everyday prisoner not a “martyr or hero.” While I will expand a bit on more of what Frankl says, his book was not intended as an historical account of the atrocities suffered by millions at the hands of the Nazi’s. Instead, he wanted to convey a message through the eyes of a trained professional that humanity’s value and attitude is not dependent on external conditions. Although Frankl is not writing specifically from a spiritual perspective, he is quite frank in saying that our attitude and the hope for something beyond our immediate circumstances provides the vehicle to lift us above our circumstances. He writes, “The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity--even under the most difficult circumstances—to add a deeper meaning to his life.” p. 76 As I was reading Frankl’s words, I was reminded about Paul’s attitude in his letter to the church in Philippi. Let’s take a look at what Paul wrote:

Philippians 1:12-30

12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

History

For the purposes of this teaching, it is important to place this letter into its proper historical context. Paul is writing to the church in Philippi while he was in prison in Rome. It was probably written sometime around 62 AD. Paul is responding to the gifts and inquiries he received from the believers in Philippi. This would not be the last time Paul would be imprisoned by Rome as we know from history, but Paul didn’t know that at the time even if the text alludes to the possibility that he may again visit the Philippians. Consequently there are some very important observations we should make from this text.

When you read the text, what stood out as usually being mutually exclusive? Let me describe it to you by way of comparison:

Circumstance                         Attitude

Imprisoned                              Joy
        Chained                           Rejoicing

For most of us, it’s hard to put ourselves in Paul’s shoes, but try and be completely honest with yourself, would joy and rejoicing be your attitude if your circumstances were the same as Paul’s? I know that that’s what I’d like my attitude to be but I doubt that it would be. Maybe you’re like me, the worse my circumstances are, usually, the worse my attitude is. If you’re not like this, I bet you know someone that is. Think about it, most of us have never been chained or imprisoned for our faith or even know someone who has been. But we probably know someone who is frustrated that they have to drive a used car, or their house isn’t as nice as they’d like, or they don’t get paid enough at their job or they have too much homework or the service at their favorite restaurant has really gotten bad or ________________ you fill in the blank. Everything about our circumstances screams that it is inevitable that we should have a bad attitude. But, Frankl writes, “What about human liberty? Is there no spiritual freedom in regard to behavior and reaction to any given surroundings? Is that theory true which would have us believe that man is no more than a product of many conditional and environmental factors—be they of a biological, psychological or sociological nature? Is man but an accidental product of these? Most important, do the prisoners’ reactions to the singular world of the concentration camp prove that man cannot escape the influences of his surroundings? Does man have no choice of action in the face of such circumstances?” P. 74

SIDEBAR

{Before I go any farther, I’d like to make a quick note about depression. As someone who often suffers from episodes of depression, I am keenly aware that during the worst times of depression I feel completely trapped in my circumstances. Thankfully, I don't suffer from clinical or ongoing depression. Nevertheless, there are countless others who struggle daily with varying degrees of depression; people both inside and outside the Church. There are many causes of depression, psychological and/or physiological. Unfortunately, the Church, historically, has been skeptical about, and sometimes hostile towards, psychology, its practices and its findings. Let me just say that this position is unnecessary and unbiblical. Without traveling too far off topic, let me say that sin has invaded every area of our lives and has affected us physically, spiritually, and psychologically. Therefore, if it’s acceptable to see a doctor for our physical ailments and a minister for our spiritual ailments then it is perfectly acceptable to seek help for psychological struggles if necessary. If you struggle with depression, there is no shame in seeking professional help. The premise of my teaching contained herein assumes the ability to chose our attitude and I understand, from personal experience, that depression can, at times, wrestle that choice from our grasp.}

With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at Paul’s attitude in our subject text.

Vv. 12-14 -- I can only guess that the believers in Philippi would like to know how Paul is faring in prison. But Paul has in mind one thing—the advancement of the gospel. He sees in his captivity the means by which God continues to advance his message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul interprets his imprisonment as leverage that elevates the level of courage in believers who witness his captivity and thereby have become more fearless in their own faith. Paul’s captivity has meaning for Paul because it advances his passion and mission. Frank Thielman writes, “When difficult, even life-threatening, circumstances face us, we should take Paul as our example and look for how God might be working in such circumstances to advance the gospel either in our lives or in the lives of others.”[1]

Vv. 15-18 These verses seem a bit out of context but I believe Paul was addressing a particular problem that the church in Philippi was experiencing at the time Paul was in prison. Evidently, there were some who were in the “business” of preaching the gospel but their motives were less than pure. Gordon D. Fee writes, “Thus they [those causing trouble] think in terms of Paul, his imprisonment, and his affliction; he [Paul] thinks in terms of the gospel.”[2] Paul isn’t the least bit fazed by the report that not everyone is in it for the right reasons. Instead, Paul’s attitude is focused on the end result that the gospel is being preached. People have the opportunity to hear the message of the gospel irrespective of the motive of those who are delivering the message.

Vv. 19-26 These verses contain the now famous Pauline principle: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul is always focused on how Christ will be exalted whether that be through his life or through his death. For Paul, everything was a “win-win” situation! If he remained alive, he had the opportunity to live his life to advance the gospel and teach others about Christ. However, if his circumstances resulted in his death, he knew he would go to be with Christ which he considered to be the better of the two options. Even so he was fully prepared to remain and celebrate the growth in faith of the believers in Philippi.

Vv. 27-30 In these verses, Paul is encouraging the Philippian believers to conduct themselves with courage and bravery as they contend for their faith against those who oppose them. Interestingly, these verses hint that Paul is expecting the believers in Philippi to adopt the same attitude that he has because they have the “privilege” of suffering for the faith in the same way that Paul has suffered and continues to suffer. Frankl, well acquainted with suffering, writes, “When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single unique task...No one can relieve him of his suffering of suffer in his place. His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden.” p. 86

Paul found it! Paul found the ultimate meaning in his life—Jesus Christ—and, as a consequence, everything about his life was filled with joy and rejoicing. Nevertheless, Paul could choose his attitude and he chose to rejoice. Frankl writes, “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” P. 75

So what should we take from Frankl and from Paul’s example? Life is filled with suffering, strife, grief, persecution, oppression and countless other hardships. Nevertheless, humanity has a choice to respond to those hardships with an attitude of complaining and bitterness or with an attitude of joy and rejoicing. But what about those circumstances that one could hardly define as a “hardship?” Oh like—“Starbucks is killing my budget!” Aside from being spoiled brats, I believe there still remains an opportunity to have an attitude of complaining about something so ridiculous or an attitude of thankfulness that we have an opportunity to enjoy one of God’s greatest gifts—coffee—on virtually every street corner! Ultimately, it comes down to a choice of attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I don't want to make it sound easy when it can actually be quite difficult especially if we’re in the habit of having a bad attitude whenever we are inconvenienced by the slightest thing. Practice having an attitude of joy while the struggles of your life are relatively insignificant and pray that should the day come that you are called to endure a grueling struggle that you would be prepared to face it with joy and rejoicing. Frankl tells a beautifully heart-wrenching story that makes this point when he writes:

“This young woman knew that she would die in the next few days. But when I talked to her she was cheerful in spite of this knowledge. ‘I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard,’ she told me. ‘In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously,’ Pointing through the window of the hut, she said, ‘This tree here is the only friend I have in my loneliness.’ Through that window she could see just one branch of a chestnut tree, and on the branch were two blossoms. ‘I often talk to this tree,’ she said to me. I was startled and didn't quite know how to take her words. Was she delirious? Did she have occasional hallucinations? Anxiously I asked her if the tree replied. ‘Yes.’ What did it say to her? She answered, ‘It said to me, 'I am here--I am life, eternal life.’”

In the face of your circumstances, whether they are truly grim or apparently trivial, will your attitude be one of joy and rejoicing that breathes life into the soul or an attitude of complaining and bitterness that acts like a slow poison that kills the soul?


[1] Frank Thielman, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) p. 64
[2] Gordon D. Fee, Paul's Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), p. 122

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