Across the world, the instinct to survive drives every human being, similar to other species, yet few pause to ask why they want to survive. Even those who have lived beyond a century cling to life, often with nothing to show for their many years of survival. A careful observer, however, notices two kinds of people: those whose positive impact is deeply missed after they are gone, and those who leave a negative mark. The contrast between these two invites each of us to examine our own reason for living.
A long life is generally considered a blessing, but that belief becomes questionable when we consider what a person actually lives for. Jesus walked this earth for only thirty‑three and a half years, yet His mission continues to impact millions, if not billions. Methuselah, according to the Book of Genesis, holds the record as the longest‑living man in history, but there is no record of anyone having benefited from his longevity — except, perhaps, that he fathered more children than those who lived shorter lives. Who would have wished Cain to live a single day longer after he killed his brother?
Humans and the natural order
Like any living organism, humans naturally pursue survival. A plant grows, produces seeds, and those seeds germinate to perpetuate its kind. The same regenerative pattern governs every species on land and in the oceans. Unlike humans, other living organisms have no further purpose. Their behaviour is instinctive, designed to sustain the world as it is, or simply to decay and enrich the soil. A dog in America behaves exactly as a dog in Africa.
The same holds true for fruits and vegetables: grown under similar conditions, they taste the same regardless of geography. Their existence follows a cyclical principle — germination, growth, reproduction, decay, and the fertilization of the soil. They serve other species even as they are served, all for their own sustenance.
This pattern applies to all species, including humans. Yet there are special features peculiar to humanity, capabilities unattainable by any other species. For this article, we will highlight four, aware that there are numerous features differentiating humans from other species.
- Creativity
The first peculiarly human feature is creativity, intended to improve life. Other species can reproduce their own kind, but they cannot create anything beyond their instinctive capacities. Because of sin in the world, however, humans have harnessed creativity for profit rather than to sustain the beauty God originally designed.
Human innovation can even alter the behaviour of other species — hence genetically modified grains. Through technological advancement, humans have achieved what people just twenty years ago would have considered magic. Given full freedom, a human being can produce things never before imagined. Creativity in humans is unlimited, rooted in their God‑like nature. Jesus declared that with faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible for humanity. Our greatest problems are merely complicated forms of selfish innovation.
Currently, human creativity is limited by our physical condition and, even more, by self‑centeredness. The physical nature we share with other species — the instinct to acquire material resources for survival — prompts us to think more of personal benefit than of serving others. A human being could be far more capable if allowed to operate beyond the confines of the physical body.
- Communication
The second special feature is communication. Other species communicate, but only within the limits of their environment and instinct. When placed in unfamiliar conditions, they cannot cope, no matter how agile they were in their original habitat. A tiger cannot survive long after being relocated to a strange territory. Many species are endangered largely because humans have failed to manage the environment through communication.
Communication is not simply the verbal exchange of words. It includes the ability to observe analytically and to generate ideas that improve rather than degrade what already exists. Through communication, humans can adjust to any condition. They can reshape unwanted circumstances to create workable solutions. As long as one can communicate, there is no need to feel like a stranger.
Cecil John Rhodes managed to broker a ceasefire with Ndebele warriors by speaking their native language, thereby acknowledging their humanity. Sadly, what history often highlights is the barbaric war that had preceded that moment, as if the war were more important. Rhodes did not use weapons to gain the communication he desired; he spoke the warriors’ language and persuaded them to accept a proposal to end senseless hostilities.
Of course, what later unfolded — culminating in the Second Chimurenga — demonstrates the failure of communication and the intransigence of both sides. Both must share responsibility for failing to communicate effectively. Communication is as vital as lubrication is to an engine. Marriages break down through poor communication, but they can also be saved by effective communication. Nations have been destroyed by a lack of communication skills, and nations have been salvaged by their effective communication skills.
If both sides are equipped with effective communication, war becomes impossible. The tragic Gukurahundi episode in Matabeleland and the Midlands was eventually addressed through communication, even though the government’s glaring flaws can be documented. Most importantly, the Unity Accord was reached through effective communication. The bottom line is this: where communication is allowed to flourish, a sophisticated civilization arises. Without it, relentless barbarism prevails.
- Religion
The third feature that distinguishes human beings from other species is religion. Although religion was necessitated by humanity’s fall from grace, it has no counterpart among species that sustain the world’s natural patterns. The phenomenon of idolatry, which spans the entire globe, stems from humanity’s awareness of God’s existence. Worship is absent in animals; they may instinctively cluster around a leader for security, but they do not practice worship rituals as humans do.
The idea of acknowledging a Supreme God cannot be found anywhere except in humanity. Most people cannot explain where the impulse to worship came from, yet it seems impossible to separate humanity from it. Atheists exist, but they are generally regarded as odd. The existence of philosophers, including Gnostics, highlights a universal awareness of spirituality.
Religion sustains cultural developments, but in its original design, humanity was not meant to practice religion — religion grew out of idolatry. A few, mostly on the fringes of society, assume God does not exist. Marxism, representing such peripheral thinking, sought to advance atheism, yet its failure demonstrates that there is no future hope for a godless worldview.
The world may be in a hopeless state, but not because religion is scarce. While viewed as necessary, religion is one of the reasons Jesus came to set enslaved humanity free. Communist tyranny sought to enforce godless theories, turning the leader into an object of worship instead. Tyranny against religion can cause devastation, but religion will always prevail. Tyrants may curtail religious activities, but they cannot convince the inner soul.
Ordinary humans prefer to live under a deity, even if they cannot identify the true God. The confusion of worshippers is evident in the world’s major religions. Yet even in its confused state, the religious impulse belongs to humans, not animals, because of the spiritual awareness woven into human existence.
Even in the most primitive conditions, religion cannot be taken away from humanity. Ancestral spirits were assumed to guide people toward the Divine. From time immemorial, humans have sensed a Supreme Creator. Methods of worship may differ across cultures, but the religious feature peculiar to humanity has always existed.
- Confusion
The fourth, and perhaps most dominant, feature of humanity is confusion. The late former President R. G. Mugabe once castigated homosexuals as “worse than pigs,” yet he did not explain why homosexuality exists. Many who supported him displayed an even deeper confusion — a lack of knowledge. Homosexuality is not the only form of confusion afflicting humans. Without proper education, people remain steeped in confusion without even realizing it.
Other species can also exhibit confusion, but never as clearly as humans. When animals show confusion, it is usually the result of human mismanagement. Human beings, created in God’s image, were meant to resemble a God whose attribute is order. Each human is unique, distinct from the next, and is expected to answer questions like: What do I do in my environment to maintain order, so that others do not go hungry while some are overfed?
Human confusion essentially lies in wanting to be someone else rather than being oneself. In their confusion, people seek to be identified by other people’s features rather than their own. They also conflate individuals based on their background. It is no secret that some in Zimbabwe give white people undue admiration while resenting their own black counterparts. This attitude is not forced; it is accepted by blacks themselves, who appear to resent their own racial identity.
A person is given a label based on how they are perceived, regardless of their true character. If someone is Chinese, they are assumed to be just like any other Chinese. The same assumption applies to any individual of a different background or gender — if a man or a woman, one is presumed to be like all others. It can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to free someone from such confusion.
Even Jesus was mistaken for other figures instead of being recognized for who He truly was (Matthew 16:13‑20). This reveals humanity’s most serious misunderstanding. Racism, tribalism, and all forms of segregation arise from this type of confusion. I can think of few disturbances more tragic than what occurred in Matabeleland and the Midlands, which was born of confusion. There are documented cases like the Rwandan genocide and Nazi atrocities, but perhaps we relate more easily to what is closer to home.
The mention of Gukurahundi stirs deep emotion. The perpetrators operated under the assumption that they were killing Ndebeles simply because their victims spoke isiNdebele. To a rational mind, a language does not define tribal identity. I am of Ndebele origin, yet all my children and grandchildren cannot speak the language. Likewise, I know many people of Shona origin, born and raised in Matabeleland, who cannot speak Shona.
The killers thought they were exterminating the Ndebele tribe when they murdered Ndebele‑speakers. That is the state of confusion — a moment of madness, as the late R. G. Mugabe himself might have described it. Madness and confusion are synonymous. Other species experience their own share of confusion, but that reflects their nature, designed for balance in the ecosystem. Humans were never created to be in the same category. Human nature is godly, for we were created in God’s image.
Humans are capable of separating confusion from order, and education makes this possible. Properly applied, education can disentangle the confusion in humanity. Some orderly people can tell the difference, but too often they surrender in despair, wallowing in the same confusion driven by the confused majority. Such orderly people are like clouds that produce no rain (Proverbs 25:14). Even their smallest contribution could make a positive difference in a world of confusion, where one pursues the real purpose for their existence.
Without confusion, humans are not different from Jesus — except in their specific callings of service. Humans are expected to serve one another, each distinguished individually, serving according to their unique abilities. Being created in God’s image does not make us identical in capability. Physically, we may look similar, but each person is peculiar.
Just as individual body parts are neither superior nor inferior to one another, so humans are purposefully different. Likewise, all creation displays divergence for multifaceted reasons. Different species exist to beautify the planet — perhaps solely to produce food for other species, or to enrich the soil that nurtures splendid vegetation. The clearest function of this variety is to balance the ecosystem. The land produces vegetation, which feeds the animal kingdom. The death and waste of animals feed carnivorous species and enrich the soil. This cyclical pattern sustains the observable beauty of the earth.
Undisturbed, the world would be a charming kaleidoscope, served by humans created in God’s image. But such splendour cannot be perceived by those who lump everything into one identity. Discernment enables us to think as God does and to discover His purpose for all creation. The ultimate truth is that humans are not of this world, though we have become entangled in it. We belong where Jesus came from. We were created to be God’s children, designed for greater things than we currently imagine. The idea of being made in God’s image is almost unimaginable, yet it is as true as the Bible states. Our failure to understand, due to confusion, does not make it false.
The purpose of survival
Human beings were created to serve others. Our vocations of service are as diverse as our individual aptitudes. Why were humans created in the first place? Each person must earnestly ask themselves this simplest of questions: “Why was I created?” If everyone on earth found a satisfactory answer, the world would automatically become magnificent. Each individual would commit to fulfilling their own role of service, valued by others.
There would be no confusion; no need to idolize or despise anyone, only to appreciate the services each person demonstrably provides. There would be no envy, no craving for approval. Systematically, such behaviour would create a utopian world of unimaginable tranquility. Confusion remains the greatest handicap to human survival.
The purpose of humanity was clearly outlined at creation. God stated why mankind was made. This purpose can only be accomplished when people return to their individual reasons for being who they are. Instead of boasting about services that seem impressive but have nothing to do with their own aptitudes, individuals would serve according to their genuine passions. As long as we remain in confusion, we cannot fulfill our God-given responsibilities; we merely validate and invalidate one another. Responsibilities cannot be met without proper coordination, with each person fulfilling their own assignment.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)
The confusion around us proves that humanity has yet to fulfill this purpose. Most people grow up and die without their potential ever being tapped. The need for humanity’s redemption stems from the confusion that bedevils us; for many, whether they existed or not makes no difference. The majority around us do not know who they are, let alone the purpose of their existence.
The purpose of Jesus’ coming cannot be valued unless we grasp the depth of confusion that holds humanity captive — and that is precisely what makes the gospel truly good news. Life is wrongly defined by whatever each individual considers impressive, rather than by the fulfillment of their own duty to serve others, who need their services. Instead of staring at seemingly insurmountable challenges, each person should simply ask: “What is the purpose of my life on earth?”
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions that have led to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, written in a simple, conversational tone.
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