I gave my friend Dave a copy of one of my books about science and Genesis a while back. Last week we had lunch at our weekly hangout, Rumi's, a Sufi-themed Mid-Eastern cuisine Restaurant.
Dave told me how much he enjoyed the book. What struck him the most was the utter expansiveness of God in both time and space. He had not reflected before on how enormous God is and how seemingly insignificant we are. I grinned big. That was precisely the impact it had on me years ago.
When you think about the billions of years matter has existed and about a universe that is ever expanding, human beings are a notch below "next to nothing" and only slightly higher than nothing. The rumor is that this God of the universe stepped into our space and time continuum, became one of us, and allowed himself to be treated like scum to be in a relationship with us. That is insane! But that is the gospel. If the rumor is true, we are far from insignificant. Because the God of all creation values us, we are of inestimable worth. This would be the most amazing story ever told!
So, I ask you, is it true that we are of immense value to a powerful and passionate God? If so, do we feel we are among the most significant beings in the known universe? Do we see ourselves and others as being of inestimable value? I don't think we do. Sure, as a race, we occasionally talk a good line about being masters of our destinies. We elevate ourselves to heights of glory. But ever-present is our mortality and even our potential mortality as a species.
The final words of the last song from Pink Floyd's "Final Cut" album, a song about a man's last thoughts just as he is annihilated by a nuclear explosion at the end of the world, are "Finally, I understand the feelings of the few. Ashes and diamonds. Foe and friend. We were all equal in the end." Still, most of us, most of the time, cannot bring ourselves to live with the logical implications of what this means.
So, which is the illusion? If a cold, heartless universe is the truth, then why does every human culture ever known seem to hold out the hope of some enduring future or purpose? If the story of a passionate and powerful God is true, why does so little of our existence connect with such a reality? One is an illusion, and one is authentic. We need to be disillusioned.
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