Understanding the Cosmos

17Oct
God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good...The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. - Genesis 1:31-2:15
This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. - John 15:12
Life is short, and we don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us,  So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind. - Henri-Frederic Amiel; Episcopal Benediction

This past summer I enjoyed a non-credit introductory course “Understanding the Cosmos” in Oxford England. The Hubble and Webb telescopes are revealing amazing, dazzling images of billions of galaxies each with billions of stars and planets. In our “everyday world” we are unaware of “what is out there” and do not know the awe of it since we do not see the stars in the daytime, and in our cities it often is hard to see them at night. In one part of the immensity of time and space our modest solar system is located with its “moderate” star (our Sun) and our “moderate” planet, Earth. Scientists continue to look for lifeforms on other planets, so far without success. We humans have the gifts of life and consciousness on our beautiful and seemingly special Earth. How are we using our brief lifetimes on this planet? To what extent are we loving and benefiting others? To what extent are we caring for our Earth? The quotes above remind us that we are to use the gift of our lives well, that we are to care, and be swift to love.

Musical Reflection - Garden of the Earth - Paul Winter Consort and the Pokrovsky Singers

 Dear God, please help us to value our time and use it well to care for others and our Earth. Amen.
Old TestamentGospel
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#time #value #space

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