Marek Reavis wrote: If you encompassed all time (eternity) and all
space (infinity), what would be -- what could be -- the limiting factor
that would preclude anything (and everything) happening?
Edg: I think this is a profound question that isn't handled very well
by the major religions.
The many worlds theories that are now being bandied by physicists
tries to take this concept seriously by imagining that other dimensions,
or other universes, exist, and speculation has it that a road not
taken IS taken by an identical you in some other universe. Of
course, this is boggling, and immediately one wonders why God would
explore everything when He clearly could decide that one and only one is
the perfect creation and the rest are best left on the palette.
Olaf Stapleton fleshed this all out in Starmaker, and thought that God
was making one creation after another and maturing as a Creator and
would eventually create a perfect universe. Interesting, but I didn't
quite buy it when I read it at 25 years old.preferring that God only
made one creation that was such a karma-machine that all possible
scenarios were created. An Arjuna who flicked a speck of dust off
Gandiva before the shooting began isn't obviously more interesting than
an Arjuna who tidies up before mayhem. To us humans, Arjuna gets to be
this symbol for all time with his almost perfect mind being challenged
by an almost impossible puzzle, so dust schmust, but yet, God might say
that the dusty bow version is far more likely to evolve a person -- and,
yep, here we are counting angels on pin heads.
OTOH, why not? Infinities are there for all possible combinations of
all possible sub-atomic particles, and God just may need that vastness
to feel that His potency is fully symbolized. A factory can churn out a
million hats, but each buyer of a hat insists that this is MY hat and
that ownership creates difference enough to be deeply significant from
a divine POV. I like those comparisons that fashion magazines do where
they show actresses wearing the same designer gown but one of them is
obviously more resonant with the gown and the other not so much, and
maybe God gets off on just that kind of knowledge.
Jesus insisted that a sparrow cannot fall without God knowing it, so
with how much more interest does God attend our flights? Certainly all
religions would grant that God can know the past and future of every
particle -- knowing that wheat grain number 27, on stalk number
476,588,300 in field 437,543,233 on planet trillion-0-eight, in quadrant
3, of universe number googlezillion, is destined to be eaten by you
164,300,223 seconds from now. Or, the sparrow's fall is just as
important as, you know, you or I getting enlightened.
God as accountant lacks a certain appeal to me though.
The concept of everything means everything seems to insure that any
human mind's fuse is blown by the sheerness of the concept, and it
jades, it dulls, it floods import with the unimportant. But that's just
me. YMMV.
To make it personal, imagine yourself having explored all the
opportunities and that when Shiva's flame is lit, you find that you've
explored every possible way to be you. You've been a planet's avatar
and Ravana on another and everything between. How's that for a task to
achieve enlightenment -- can you imagine God's hand on your shoulder as
He suggests you incarnate until you've done exactly that?Cute idea,
except that, here we are right now with the dark suspicion that:
We've only just begun to live,
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way.
And yes, We've just begun.
Before the rising sun we fly,
So many roads to choose
We start our walking and learn to run.
And yes, We've just begun.
Sharing horizons that are new to us,
Watching the signs along the way,
Talking it over just the two of us,
Working together day to day
Together.
And when the evening comes we smile,
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow,
And yes, We've just begun.
It's enough whatever it is.
Enough for identity and love.
Edg
