W
hat is the purpose of the universe?
As touched on earlier, purpose has to do with the principle of why something is. In a counterfactual sense, if it were not for the thing's purpose, the thing would not be. Therefore, jobs are for money (if we did not get paid, we would not do our jobs), cars are for driving (if no one needed to drive anywhere, cars would not exist), lamps are for illumination (if a lamp does not produce light, we throw it away).
Consider two statements:
"The purpose of the universe is to exist."
"The purpose of the universe is to give glory to God."
At first glance, these seem like two very different ideas of the purpose of the universe. One might say that the first statement says very little, and the second says a great deal indeed. However, I would like to propose that these two statements are in fact the same, and are both descriptions of the meaning or purpose of the universe.
"I AM WHO AM" says the Lord to Moses. God is being, and consequently God is goodness. All things that are take part in the existence and attributes of God. Continuing to be is the most basic way of participating in the Lord, which all things strive to do. Things which fail to do this are written out, and fall into non-being, to be forgotten.
All things exist in their own particular ways; electrons as electrons, rocks as rocks, vines as vines, and man as man. To continue to be in their own idioms is to express the particular perfection of God that is their portion. By being well, they give glory to their creator by displaying Him for all to see.