Dear F,
Thanks for your emails.
According to the laws of probability, I agree that there is probably intelligent life elsewhere.
However, I think it “life elsewhere is exceedingly rare and probably exceedingly distant.
And I can also see that if there is a creator god “behind” the universe we see, that God may be using the whole universe to stage this one experiment in intelligent life here on earth.
I also think it may be likely that intelligence civilizations, where they might exist, would be far less belligerent, vicious, and bloodthirsty than our own.
And therefore, I think most of them would “stay at home,” and delight in the pleasures of love, community and creativity.
When viewed with clear eyes, I think each of us is as different as an intelligent extraterrestrial would be, and that while we wait for The Great Reveal, we should devote usually disproportionate energy to loving those we see rather than pining for the “possible ones” we don’t see.
My artist nómada friend, Héctor Fabio Gómez Brand, used to say: “We are so eager to see what we don’t see, that soon we stop seeing what’s around us.”
I think the “quest for contact” with extraterrestrials is largely diversionary.
What if extraterrestrials are waiting for us to learn how to love — or at least honorably serve everyone around us — BEFORE they make contact. It is always worth re-reading the passage about loving our enemies in the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew..
What if our learning how to love unconditionally is their test, their litmus?
Here is how the Nazarene defines unconditional love:
New International Version
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Alan: I will add that the word "perfect" is being translated in new renditions of the New Testament as "complete," "entire," "thoroughly (or completely) done." It is also pertinent to note that the word "sin" in the New Testament derives from the Greek word "hamartia" - an archer's term for "missing the mark." And, of course, marksmen only learn to hit the mark by correcting for the errors they make when "missing the mark," just as a baby learns to walk by correcting for the mistaken moves that cause her to fall down.
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I also believe that The Great Reveal of the Magnum Mysterium awaits all. (I once read that the Greek word mysterion is best translated as "that which can be understood only by living one's life fully through to the end." Whether or not this explanation is true, I choose to incorporate it into the Magnum Mysterium.
Life is not to be understood in any literal sense as it is to be lived with a wealth of rich experiences.
Even if the ship is going down, our abiding aspiration is to re-enact the love, courage and service orientation of the Titanic's orchestra.
Musicians Of The Titanic
Wikipedia
As long as love prevails all is well.
And without love, nothing else matters.
Love
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