Jesus of Nazareth gave his life for the sake of others, in order to make his message eternal.
And the message can be summed up in one sentence: Love thy neighbour as thou love thyself and God above all things.
Love thy neighbour in the Old Testament, the Jewish Torah
Jesus said: be friends. That is how people shall recognise you, that you love one another. He also said:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jo, 15:12-13).
He even said: if someone slaps your face, offer the other cheek. He went as far as saying: love thy enemy.
No one, religious or agnostic, can in sincerity deny that this is goodness speaking.
Why are we were?
We do not know exactly, but in that uncertainty one thing is absolutely certain: it is our moral duty to love our neighbours and to do good for others. And that is already a solid foundation for our lives.
That should be the starting point. And from there we can start to build upon. What am I good at? What can I contribute with most effectively for the good of others?
We need to think in terms of what we can give, rather than what is there for us. For there is much more joy in giving than in taking.
In search of meaning 