Until last weekend, I used to have a 3D Earth's screensaver on my phone, which I replaced with a 3D Solar System screensaver, after the former started playing "hide and seek" on my phone, coming on one day, and nowhere to be found on another. This morning, while waiting for the last one percent of my phone's battery to burn out, as I was watching an episode of Geographic Channel's GENIUS (the latest featuring the story of Aretha Franklin), after I'd received warning that I couldn't continue, as my phone couldn't be charged due to lack of power supply. The focus of my attention in those dying seconds of my phone's battery life shifted to my recently installed 3D Solar System screensaver.


It reminded me of the smallness of earth compared to some of the other planets, and then in comparison to the sun, which loomed and seemed all encompassing in that environment, and then all of that to our solar system, to other solar systems, to the galaxies, unto the universe. I could easily imagine why at some point in human history and civilization, the Sun (even up till this day), was an object of worship, just by looking at how it's portrayed in that screensaver. I also understood how the Jews who followed after the One God, whom they aptly attributed the title - KING OF THE UNIVERSE, were able to overcome the awesomeness of the sun, because they found a way to look beyond the sun, placed it in its rightful place in the universe, and understood that even that, had its creator and its king. If according to what we are told, that Abraham was the sole monotheist of his time, and didn't consider the sun worthy of deification (unlike an Egyptian Pharaoh Akenaten, before him) it was easy for him to have been considered a raving lunatic, in swimming against the tide that was the generally the belief of the time.


There's no way you'd honestly view the universe in the sense I'm talking about, and not be humbled by it. In fact, I was already shrinking into irrelevance and insignificance by just staring at the solar system screensaver on my phone, when my phone vibrated as it spent its last energy to shut down, and I came back to. As it was the wee hours of the day, with nothing to do but to watch time roll by while waiting for either power to be restored or for the day to break, I simply waltzed back into my thoughts, as any insomniac would, when left with zilch to play away time with. My thoughts centered on the creator and creation, and how it must be difficult to contemplate the nonexistence of a creator, with all that is around and about us. I am in agreement with Rabbi Manis Friedman in his summation that it must seem out of place for one to consider him or herself an atheist really, if he or she agrees that creation, even earth, was formed by something. That something, whether a subatomic particle, a BIG BANG, or a God can be declared a creator, and therein lies the theism. The only disagreement amongst all contenders is about whom the term "creator" applies to, and whether such should be noticed and no further honorific reference made to it, like the scientist to their Big Bang and the contrary for the "worshippers". There's is also no contesting the fact that there was a beginning, from either the scientists' subatomic particle, to the big bang, to the larger than life Supreme Being, who willed life, existence, being, space, etc, in no particular order, into place.


One thing gazing into the vastness of space affords the discerning, is how limitless the creator of it is, and why it will be unwise to attempt to estimate or understand "his" magnitude. I didn't start up a humble person, but I have at several junctures been humbled by life, and come off such situations grateful for the opportunities. Beside life's experiences I have gained humility just by staring into the vastness of space. This has helped temper my desires and wants, made me question my aspirations and examine what exactly my purpose, and by extension, what our purpose as humans, on earth, really is.


I have learnt that what one thinks of his God, goes as far as explaining how one interacts with his deity. For instance, the one who shouts in prayer most likely thinks his/her God inhabits this space in some nether land, that can only be reached by so much shouting, or think that in the rants, they'd be able to rouse their God, like the prophet EliYah was found asking of the prophets of Baal, as recorded in the Book of Kings. The other, who thinks the creator to be omnipresent, might not utter words in prayer, rather meditates with the belief that the omniscient creator knows what he wants even before he could think of them, nay utter them. Would there be a need to worry and be anxious over a thing if one had a God that's King Of The Universe? Does that mean such a person will not suffer lack? Did the King Of The Universe abandon his creature after creation? Or is creation an ongoing concern? These thoughts, I'm sure are not peculiar to me alone, but I suppose that like me, you also do wonder about them in your quiet moments. Some of us may find answers to them, while others, like me may still be searching, and trying to make sense of the whole thing, thinking to justify our existence by entertaining such thoughts.


In the end, the only conclusion I'm left with, is to endeavour to make my little space better than I met it. Also, that in spite of my insignificance in the general scheme of things, talking universe levels now, my passage through life doesn't pass unnoticed, because we are all just a part of the fabric that's woven into the mechanism by which life spins, and for that matter, we matter. I would do well to remind myself, the next time I'm tending to be selfish to again look at the picture of the universe, and ask myself if it's worth it. Consider how much noise we can emit, not just from our lungs, but from amplifiers of our voices from the surface of the earth, and yet not the least of decibels is heard or felt in space, making me wonder how the teller of the ancient folklore that attributed the great flood to punishment by the gods on earthlings for making so much noise, if he were to see how vast the space away from earth is, considering his vision of the abode of the gods is as far as he can fathom, or even beyond it. Whatever damage man has been able to concoct and visit upon the earth has largely been limited to earth's atmosphere, and the debris we abandoned in space, interestingly have continued to find its way back into, and within our surrounding space.


I have realized, just by the little I've seen and know of space, that many of the things we kill ourselves, each other and one another for on earth, are not worth the struggle. I knew this, and knew peace, long from when I engaged in some anger management, and put making threats behind me. Even personal aggrandizement will suddenly lose all of its flavour, when we come to this space, because then only quality of life, not its quantity, living and not just existing will matter going forward. If we come to the knowledge that this life isn't just about us, as individuals, or members of our families, tribes, nations, races and the likes, but that we are part of a universal family, many of them not configured the way we are, operating in dimensions that we cannot decipher, and not thinking that's just us, because the others aren't there (just because we can't see them), then will we fully come to understand what the title, King Of The Universe denotes, connotes and encompasses, and then humble ourselves in our little spaces. When we are able to do this, may be, just may be, we will find the peace that has long since eluded mankind.


'kovich


PICTURE CREDIT:
- https://www.slideshare.net


KING OF THE UNIVERSE https://madukovich./2021/04/20/king-of-the-universe/