What's With the Blog Title?

I suppose I should begin with the title of this blog.

For over 20 years now, I've taught classes, written books, posted articles and blogs, and given lectures around the world on world religions, and issues related to religion in public life.  I've said many times - and it remains true to this moment - that the main thing I love about religion, and about studying it, is that it puts big questions about life "front and center."

In other words, religion doesn't mess around making idle talk about things that don't matter.

Who are we?  How did we get here?  Why are we here?  Is there a purpose or meaning to my life, or to life in general? Why does everything and everyone have to die?  What happens to us when we die?  And finally . . .

Now that we're here, how should we live?

After two decades of my own intellectual and spiritual journey, this is the question that matters most to me.  I don't much care about origins or endings - they are what they are and I have no say in them, as I see it.  And death, it seems, is just part of the contract of living in this world.  Things live and then die, so that other things may live.  This is the way of the world.

Which leaves the question of how - how to live in this life.  Is there a "good" way to live?  What is that? Is it life with a purpose?  If so, how do we find or know that purpose?  Is it an ethical life?  If so, what are the principles?  Is it a life in community or largely alone?

I embed these questions and hundreds more into the question "how should we live?"  Reflecting on, discussing and attempting to answer this question in its myriad forms is the focus of this blog.

I don't claim to know the Truth about anything really.  I have some expertise in some areas, but that's just what it is - specific knowledge about specific things we humans have cooked up to give ourselves something to do.  It's certainly not The Truth.

If the question of how to live a good life is something you're interested in, I welcome you to join me in this inquiry.  I don't really have a master plan for this - either the inquiry or this blog.  I'm doing it because it matters to me, and I figure it might matter to others.

I'll post about once a week or so.  Thanks for reading this first one.