More Cosmic-Construction-Crew Posts Coming

I’m going to try an experiment in this space for a while.

The Universe Factory

I’ve long been fascinated by the cosmic processes, both big and small, by which Something seems to be manufacturing and assembling the components of our universe.  I’ve posted a few notes here and there about some of those processes. 

By temperament I’m something of a left-brained geek; I studied mostly math and science in college, and I spent five years as a Navy nuclear engineering officer between college and law school, doing my ROTC scholarship payback.  Whenever another piece of the puzzle falls into place about how the universe seems to be assembling itself, I experience a renewed sense of awe and admiration about the Creator of such an incredibly complex (and unlikely) system.

Humanity’s Hard Hats

For quite a while now, I’ve thought that humanity serves as bit players in those cosmic construction processes.  Without necessarily even knowing it, we and our forebears seem to have been acting as agents in a continuing creation.  In the words of Lutheran theologian Philip Hefner, we’re created co-creators.   

I sometimes think of the human race as a swarm of hard-hat workers.  All of us are living our own lives and pursuing our own goals.  But in the process, all of us are doing our infinitesimal bit as part of a cosmic construction crew.   (Even our screw-ups get put to use, in that we and others learn from our mistakes and get an opportunity to do better.)

How We Do Our Best Work

Oddly enough, following the core precepts of Christianity appear to make us particularly effective in working on "the project."   History seems to suggest that we do our best work:

• when we face the facts boldly, acknowledge our limitations, and strive to learn more; 
• when we learn particularly from our mistakes, and try to do better; 
• when we actively seek the best for our neighbors just as we do for ourselves; 
• when we take delight in the work that’s going on around us; 
• when we take the risk of trusting that, in the end, the project will turn out unimaginably well. 

Of course, this is simply a different way of phrasing what that singularly insightful Jewish prophet, Yeshua of Nazareth — known to us as Jesus — preached in his ministry.

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Anyway, as I come across news items that seem to illustrate the foregoing, I’m going to post some of them here.  I hope they’ll be of interest — and if they’re not, I hope you’ll let me know.