Out There

Looking through a telescope at the heavens can be an awe-inspiring moment. It is even more powerful when seen through the Hubble telescope, peering into space viewing stars and constellations that by the time their light comes into our view, have already died out or changed dramatically in real time. New scientific evidence tells us that the universe is also expanding at an incredible rate, swallowing up the void of nothingness that existed before.

The feeling I take away from all of this is just how insignificant we are in this whole setting. And, I can't help but feel silly about the things that consume me from day to day. Whether one has a faith that shows us the awesome power of the Creator, or one possesses a more pragmatic view of the causal elements of our beginnings, it is without debate that we exist in a universe that makes both our existence and our striving appear almost inconsequential. On the other hand, does it not also compel us to readjust our sense of urgency to reach for more than that which we have accepted as our fate?

The ability to lift oneself above the fray in order to assume a more cosmic consciousness is typically accomplished by those of science and religion. Why can we not all adopt an encompassing vision of our lives? I apologize for waxing philosophic, though there are those moments in life that afford one an opportunity to reassess, revalue where we find ourselves and our raison d'etre. In the loss of: a loved one, a job, worldly possessions, one's health; we are suddenly face to face with our own mortality, our sense of safety and security. In that flicker of time, we can either dismiss the importance of that which is greater than ourselves, or continue on painfully in the fruitless pursuit of all things temporal.

In Chrisitianity, repenting of one's past mistakes produces the ability to begin anew. The word repent comes from the greek word repellos (sp?) which means to "turn around" completely. A 180. This is the best description that I know of to describe a person's going in a completely new direction. What this means to me is that there is a possibility in each of our lives to start over. The biggest hurdle we face in such an effort is to decide what the new direction is. Religion teaches the new direction's tenets. Science has the foundation of previous research. What of the common life we have built for ourselves?

To step out in a new direction can often feel like being blindfolded and stepping off a cliff. I sense that the real key to making this a reality is in how we frame our life. In other words, taking every simple event and every person we meet at face value, removing judgement from our lexicon and our thoughts. It is unfortunate that the most profound epiphanies in life sound very trite. The truth, as I see it, is to look diligently for the good in everyone and everything. Finding fault is an industry with poison byproducts. Everyone is good at it but no one profits from it. Looking for the good around us is difficult in some cases, but rewarding every single time. There is no defense against love and it never returns void.

Once this perspective takes hold, the passion of our lives becomes self-evident. What we are good at blossoms and consumes us. The empty space of a lost loved one or even our worldly possessions becomes totally unimportant. It is then that we can begin to live with joy, which is distinctly different from happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances. Joy is a state of being.