Worldviews are best understood as the dreams, longings and ambitions that get people out of bed in the morning. For some people it is naked profit. Still others crave status and celebrity. Some Buddhists are desperate to avoid reincarnation. For James Bond it’s the destruction of Her Majesty’s enemies. Worldviews are the ‘spectacles behind our eyes’ – we look at the world through them, not at them. Worldviews can be compared to secret agents: often they are invisible and elusive.
Consider the billion pound challenge: how would you live your life if you suddenly got this huge wad? Would you spend the rest of your life consuming Aston Martins, Omega watches, Bollinger champagne, Beluga caviar and gorgeous women? Or would you dedicate your considerable resources to ending the slave trade? Your answer to this question tells us what you really believe. Your lifestyle reveals your worldview.
Every worldview tells a story. These stories function as maps that guide the way we live. They captivate our imaginations and our spending habits. Worldviews are communal and they are grounded in faith. What is faith? It is the way we answer five basic questions facing everyone:
Where are we?
What is the nature of the world and universe we live in?
Who are we?
What is the nature, task and purpose of human beings?
What’s gone wrong?
What is the basic obstacle that keeps us from finding fulfilment: how do I understand evil?
What’s the solution?
How is it possible to overcome this hindrance to fulfilment: how do I find salvation?
What will happen to us after we die?
For example, will I just rot in the ground or will I be waiting for the resurrection of my body?
For James Bond, the answers might look like this:
Where am I?
I am living in a world full of gadgets, helicopters, booby-trapped briefcases, beautiful women, luxury and enemy spies.
Who am I?
I am Bond, James Bond. I am a supremely confident MI6 agent. I am 007 licensed to kill. I have complete confidence in my ability to achieve all of my assignments. All women find me extremely attractive.
What’s gone wrong?
Sometimes I lack complete control over nature and other people. Sometimes enemy agents refuse to be killed instantly. Sometimes I am attacked by huge crocodiles and sharks.
What’s the solution?
I will trust in science and technology. Q will help me here. I have complete confidence in my ability to conquer my enemies and seduce all of the attractive women. They can’t resist me.
What will happen to me after I die?
It’s almost impossible to kill me, but after I die at home in bed, I will rot and be eaten by worms.