The answer to the first question (“What is the chief end of man?”) from The Shorter Catechism is the paradigmatic compound sentence, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

This “chief end” is the design at back the master narrative of humanity. As A. W. Tozer said, “God formed us for himself. . . . God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we as well as He can in divine communion enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile” (see The Pursuit of God, Chapter 3).