“The universe is shaped exactly like the earth
if you go straight long enough you’ll end up where you were.”
This little snippet from Modest Mouse‘s “3rd Planet” reminds me of the film I Heart Huckabees.
One of the characters made the point that we are all on the same plane of space-time, and in that sense we are all connected. Now say what you will for Zen, but I like to think of this statement for what it is. The sheer fact that we share space and air and water and time together — that fact alone should impel us to live focused on each other and not ourselves. You don’t have to be a Christian with a Golden Rule to live this way. But it helps.
Gosh, no. It’s not turtles ALL the way down! As every fan of outstanding British author Terry Pratchett knows from his Discworld series, the world is sitting on the backs of 4 galactic sized elephants. THEN comes the turtle on whose shell they ride, and the turtle is swimming through outer space, so there’s only one. Researchers are still hard at work trying to determine the turtle’s sex, however.
Hi Patty, I’m a friend of Rob’s childhood friend James.
I like existing now as well. I’m glad I grew up in a time just before video rentals and the PC boom. I can appreciate what it was like to have to see movies and the theatre and to have to find out information the hard way (research, library, etc) but I’m glad I now have these options as they surely do make life fun. Not more fun necessarily, but fun none-the-less.
Hmm… Reminds me of something one of my favorite authors, John Eldredge, wrote. It was to the effect that however small and insignificant we feel in this world, God tells us that this world is an active battlefield. If we desert our place in the ranks, there is NO ONE who can fill the hole we leave behind. No one else shares all of our relationships and situations that let us impact this world on Christ’s behalf. I am here for such a time as this. It’s kind of a sobering thought.
Its unfortunate, but often non-Christians do this better than us. I believe that other religions/belief-systems picked up on some truly biblical ideas long before American Christianity did and it has taken us a long time to overcome our collective fear of sounding “new age-y” in discussing these very real truths.
It reminds me of the environmental issue. Yes, I think there are some environmental wackos, but I find it interesting that as a group Christians seem to be very anti-environmental and to me that idea seems very wrong. I think people must come first but I think we have some responsibility to the world God gave us and as Christians we often neglect that responsibility in the same way we neglect building good relationships with those around us.
I think the ‘don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good’ saying applies here.
Lol, I love the obscure reference, jenn see. For the sake of others…
as quoted here
Now that cosmological model I’ll buy. I mean, come on, *all* the way down, jennsee? There’s got to be elephants in there somewhere.
Yep, I agree, Carl. I’ve actually heard the heavenly minded excuse used in favor of poor earthly stewardship. Sad. Yes, this world is full of pain and sadness, but God put us here for a reason. I don’t see why we should keep our heads in the sand while we’re here.
this is going to sound very mystical of me- but hey- hidden deep inside is a poet…when i read your post it reminded me of that place in romans 3 (keep in mind, i am not big on quoting scripture)…that talks about how god has placed each of us here during a specific time and a specific place. i find it fascinating that i exist, and that i exist now. i find it fascinating that i exist now as opposed to any other time in human history. i exist simultaneously with rob lund and carl v. (whoever carl v. is).
so many factors went in to each of us existing that the fact the we exist is truly amazing. and the fact that we exist at the same time (breathe the same air, share water and space) makes me feel very small- but very small in a way that i feel a part of something very big.
focus on others, indeed. well said.
you can’t fool me.
it’s turtles all the way down.