Scritto da Peter Kivuva | Categoria: A Proposito di Noi |  Pubblicato il 07/03/2025

Have you ever wondered if the universe is expanding or it's the new discoveries due to advancement in science and technology? That which is being discovered today and being added to the list of the wonders of nature wasn't there before? The answer is that it has been. Take a look of a rare image of the universe. All the countless space bodies: the numerous planets, the stars, all those mateors and meteorites we learned in science. Think about the movement of those bodies around the sun assuming that the discovery of Galilée was right. It's obviously that some phenomena are hard to comprehend humanly speaking. Imagine yourselves being taken on a tour in the space by a rocket then at one point you're permitted to see the universe below and above you, not even to mention of what you see side by side.

You'll realise that what we call home (planet Earth) is a very tiny fraction of the whole universe. Assuming you're released safely and told if you're lucky to land on Earth you will survive then you travel past the earth for a day or so then you are brought back to earth safely, what will you tell your peers? I guess you will first undergo a conversion greater than that of St Paul. We're kind of limited to always be using expressions like " the world, dunia, monde" which simply refer to earth.
Think of how much we are lacking in knowledge. Is there the possibility of an existence of another planet not yet discovered? The answer is yes. Could there be a possibility of life in that planet? The answer is yes. If there are creatures: human and non humans, will they resemble us? The answer is, I don't know.
This brings us to my second part of this article. In respect to all the above richness of the universe as I imagined, the attitude to approach life with humility is of great importance. There is obviously alot that we do not know than what we know. I encourage intellectual humility at the same time exhorting each one of us and advocating for curiosity in research.
Thirdly, in the Christian perspective, God is the author of all that exists: visible and invisible, known and unknown. It will be of great service to us if we use this mental picture to ponder on the greatness of this God. In so doing, we will know our place in relation to him. We will be in a position to break all the barriers we have created amongst ourselves. The spirit of ridiculing our brothers and sisters, seeing them as lesser humans will be a thing of the past that we will really regret ever possessing. Like St Augustine, we will acknowledge that our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord.
As I conclude, we are approaching the period of lent where Mother Church invites us to repentance, alms giving and fasting. We will receive ashes on our foreheads to remind ourselves of our very nature. May this article help us to reflect on ourselves and see the nothingness that we are. A worm before God and only through His mercy are we capable of standing out. Our daily desire for greatness and the good things of this world should find instructions in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas that the thirst of the desire of good can only be quenched by that encounter with the Good par excellence, where we will desire no more.
Wishing you a fruitful lenten period.