As I've said often; I'm not a scientist! Sure, I took the required course in school, but 'mere books do not a scientist make'! Science, in my limited understanding, is the Study of Nature. A true Scientist, therefore, would be one who studies Nature, or natural phenomena. According to some scientists, the known universe is expanding exponentially. This Wikipedia article on the 'Expansion of the Universe' might prove to be some interesting reading on that account. Here is a rather interesting quote, however, should my readers choose not to read the entire article ( I wouldn't blame you, it's pretty long & WAY over MY head ); 'Based on large quantities of experimental observation and theoretical work, the scientific consensus is that space itself is expanding, and that it expanded very rapidly within the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang. This kind of expansion is known as "metric expansion". In mathematics and physics, a "metric" means a measure of distance, and the term implies that the sense of distance within the universe is itself changing.' 'The sense of distance within the universe is itself changing' tells me that, physically speaking, it SEEMS to us that the universe is expanding! Does that mean that the universe is actually expanding, or is it simply our perception, our knowledge of how vast our universe is that is expanding, or becoming greater, wider, if you will?
One question that might stump the majority of scientists is, 'did our Universe really have a beginning, or has it always been, like say, the Christian 'God'? 'Big Bang Theory' aside, there is no real way to prove either for or against either proposition! We weren't there, so it is only by our study, our observation of what the current situation is, that we can theorize as to how this, that, or the other happened, why & to what extent. If our universe has always existed, have the objects within that 'space' always existed as well? If so, how do we fit in? If not, what was their beginning & for that matter, what was our beginning? Yes, I was brought up to believe that 'in the beginning, God created.............', but is it really that simple? When 'in the beginning' 'the heavens & the earth' were 'created', was the Universe pre-existent, or does the Bible simply not record the creation of the Universe? Maybe its writers were simply not concerned about the natural order of things, but only about telling their own (Hebrew ) Story!
If we posit that the Universe was/is pre-existent, we might actually be approaching what could almost be called an 'event horizon'. In a pre-existent universe, the nature of both it & us would then come into question. If the Universe did not have a beginning, what's to say that we did ( except for the Bible & certain other books/stories like it )? If we did not have a beginning, then, 'as above, so below', that brings our very nature into question! Who ARE we? WHAT are we? Are we really just, as a cursory & careless reading of the above mentioned text seems to tell us, flawed & fallen human beings with an innate proclivity to fail, or do what is perceived as wrong? My readers should know by now that we are More than that; we are part & parcel with 'God' Himself ( or 'Herself' )! No apologies, but that WAS a bit of a 'jab' at the simplistic way I was taught to believe. Our nature, not as mere human beings, but as spirit-beings having a human experience is Divine, un-created & therefore infinite. This biology, as we've seen, was not built to last forever, for Infiniity ( or 'Eternity'? )! Although 'this biology' most concerns our humanity, one should note that it is just as true for much of what we perceive in the Universe, stars, for example. Our Sun, one of many billions in our galaxy alone, according to modern Science, is itself winding down. The existence of 'Black Holes' bears witness itself to such. The explanation I recall from my schooling ( concerning Black Holes & their formation ) was that they were the result of a 'supernova', sometimes termed the 'death' of a star. Further reading will reveal that these stars do not actually die; they simply take another form. As Einstein once famously said, 'Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.'
'As above, so below'. In much the same way then, though these biological machines, intricately woven as they are, will at some point wind down, sooner or later; we ourselves will never die, we will simply, as pure energy, pure spirit, if you will, simply assume a different form. Yes, one might note, the above statement almost surely assumes 'reincarnation', but, 'it is what it is'! In the cycle of existence, biologically speaking, there is 'birth, death & rebirth'. A bit simplistic maybe, as far as an explanation, because it's really not that simple ( or is it?! ), but we see this in all of Nature. After a forest fire, for example, we may note the 'death' of the grasses. It never fails though, depending on conditions, they always come back, usually sooner rather than later, greener than ever! In many other plants as well, we can observe this 'Cycle of Existence', also called 'The Circle of Life'. In actuality, both these phrases refer only to Biology & how it affects us in this physical experience; 'as above, so below', our true nature does not change, it simply takes on a new form.
'The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another.' Energy, therefore, just is! Like the 'God' of Christianity, from Energy came to be all that exists! As human beings, we may rightly say, 'I create this or that', but really, all we're doing is transmuting, sharing, the Energy that exists in us, that IS us & manifesting it in another form. In the case of procreation through sexual intercourse, we're using our Energy to produce a copy of our own chosen form, that of a human being.
The Universe itself, being made up of Energy, has Itself produced billions upon billions ( 'to infinity?' ) of stars. There are also many planets in countless galaxies in this Universe. 'Where did they all come from? How did they come to be?' Again; 'I'm not a scientist' ( by ANY stretch of the imagination ), so all I can really say is that although, biologically speaking, they did have a beginning, at least, to our perception & they will have an end, they are simply a manifestation of Energy. It's probably not that simple, in actuality, but they, like us, are the result of transmutation by an Intelligent Designer. No creation or cessation of existence, just a new or different form!
As this Universe, then, unfolds itself to the naked eye, so to speak, we should understand that, as Divine Beings made of the same Energy ( 'As above, so below' ), we understand that we are, in fact, mirror images of 'Her'! Just as 'She' is always active, keeping things in motion, so we too, as human beings, are forever on the move, spinning off new & different things, manifestations of the Energy that is us. It has been said, actually, that the human body, in all its intricacy, is really a microcosm of the Universe. So then, it should not be too hard to imagine that these biological machines, our human vehicles, have been designed by the same Intelligent Designer that formed all that exists in the macrocosm.
As we live out our lives in these biological machines, these physical vehicles, let us always be mindful that 'as above, so below', when we study the Universe & note that it seems to be expanding, it should be a sign to us that, while our consciousness of the infinite reaches of the Universe is expanding, our consciousness of who & what we are may be expanding as well! Although the tendency for those who are becoming, or have become aware is to focus on the heavenly reaches of their Divinity, we must remember that while we are Divine, we have chosen, like Jesus the King of the Jews, to forsake that Divinity for a Time & live our lives for the good of all. Our biological vehicles have their own hidden Divinity & if we allow them, will manifest that Divinity in the form we have chosen. To quote the Hebrew Scriptures, 'the heavens declare the glory of God' ( Psalm 19:1 ). No matter your preferred interpretation/understanding of this oft-quoted passage, it is one of many Universal Truths to be found therein & so begs the question; 'can we, in these physical vehicles, do any less?'
Namaste' & Blessed Be,
Charles Haddon Shank
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