When I was 10 to 14 or so my friends and I spent many warm
summer nights “camping” around my parents’ backyard swimming pool. We’d spread a blanket or two on chaise
lounges, watch constellations, satellites, and shooting stars traverse the sky
and of course, talk about everything. I remember those nights well but what I
remember best and think about most is not the show in the sky. What I remember are the big questions
looking at the sky seemed to naturally spawn: where did the Universe come from,
how can it be infinite, is it intelligent, and what does it all mean? My friends and I turned over many rocks
searching for those answers. None were
found.
Scientists tell us that the Universe started with a big
bang. They say that something very small
blew up and became very big and is still expanding to this day. They say that the Universe is infinite and
may be conceptualized by visualizing the shape of the number 8. Some of these scientists say the Universe
just “is”. It is raw nature and by
itself has no meaning or intelligence.
Life happens when the chemistry is right and this rightness is a rare
event in space where extremes of hot and cold are the norm. They say we are essentially arrangements of
organic molecules swimming aimlessly on the surface of a moist Petri dish
hatched by a giant ball of flame floating in the sky.
Others say a god created the Universe. They say this god is intelligent, caring, and
watches over us in our lives although it is up to us to decide if we’re going
to be “bad” or “good”. When we die, he
will send us to where we deserve: heaven, or hell. These two destinations are somewhat ill
defined though and the rewards or punishments vary according to which god one
believes is in control. This god is
supposedly benevolent and wishes us well even as we are constantly hammered and
tested by the never ending suffering and conflict we bring on ourselves. One could imagine that a little intervention would be appropriate at times. Incredibly, no one seems to know what he, or she,
even looks like…although some of us think this god has a beard.
I’m not saying I don’t believe in science. Science is fun and interesting and certainly
useful as we go about our daily lives.
But it just doesn’t give us an answer to this most important question “What
does it all mean?” I’m also not saying
that there is no God. Interestingly, the idea or
concept of God is something we have trouble defining and there is no consensus
we’ve reached together on who or what this god is except that God is somehow
looking down upon and guiding us. Some, after much thinking or dreaming, have come up with their own version of
a god or gods. Some choose to take the existence of a god on faith from
parents, teachers, peers, and even old books.
Consequently, we have manufactured hundreds of religions all convinced
that it is their god only that sits on the throne and supplies the correct
answer. Then there are a few of us who
don’t conceptualize God as an “other” in any sense of the word. It’s all kind of a mess.
So for me, neither science or a god has convinced me that
the Universe is intelligent. But maybe we can think this through another way by
making some logical suppositions:
1. We
exist inside the Universe.
2. Being
inside it means we are a “part” of it and not “separate” from it.
3. We
are generally conscious and intelligent beings. Some of us anyway.
4. Since
we exist inside this Universe, are a part of it and are intelligent, then the
Universe itself is intelligent.
If all this is true then perhaps you’d like to think of this Universe as…God. Would that create enough
meaning for you? Beware though: if we are connected so fully to this Universe
then we must be God too.
I am going to tell you something now. Remember it well. If I am God and
you are bad “the next time you see me
comin’ you better run.” (1)
***
If the Universe is intelligent…isn’t that just
incredibly cool?
Let me know what you find under your rock.
***
(1) from Bob Dylan’s song Highway 61 Revisited
***
© Steve Stewart and SeeNextRock,
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