President Barack Obama, Governor Mitt Romney, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and a whole host of others seem so purposely in the forefront of our everyday lives. Perhaps rightfully so, but at times it is vital and necessary to take a step back and regain a sense of perspective and clarity. To not only look at a painting, but also to take a step to the left and then to the right for new inspiration and new thought. It's important to take a look at human events and achievements to manifest what we are capable of. Such is the news in the coming days which inspires this post.
The 2012 Presidential Campaign trail is a very important historic topic of news for all of us. It affects our economic future, energy supply and perhaps even safety. As with all of history we've got Democrats and Republicans battling it out in an otherwise vicious manner, as fiends circling their prey filled with the lust of blood. So ridden with corruption have campaigns become it renders difficult to discern truth from err. The benefit of the human family seems so "old school" that the entire fabric of human family and civility is jeopardized. Yet, we cling to hope, that essence to a bright future.
Hatred has filled the streets the world over. We've got riots in Central America, throughout the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. North and South Korea are on the verge of war as with the nuclear potential between Israel and Iran. Terrorism claims lives at the hands of those without uniforms, compassion or self identity. People cross the United States border in droves. Some immigrants come in the hopes of a better life. Some have mischievous motives seeking to destroy the mind and will of the weak with drugs. A struggle of power of epic proportions seems to be escalating on all levels of the economic and cultural ladder.
I've just read an article that made me take a step back and to the side of the human painting. Voyager 1 may have recently left our Solar System! So now you say, "OK, what the heck does that have to do with anything posted so far?" Off the beaten path, I admit, but what an achievement that will hardly get much serious attention from the media. The Solar System is estimated at 7,500,000,000 miles in diameter. Voyager 1 was launched September 5th, 1977. All this should give us extreme pause and humility of what is possible for us if we put aside the petty power struggle over the lives of others and work for the common good.
Consider what the Voyager 1 spacecraft has put up with in it's 35+ year history. Constant radiation, magnetic fields, being pummeled by hard particles and undoubtedly jostled by solar winds especially in the heliopause. It's official mission ended in 1980 yet this remarkable machine still responds to regular commands from Earth and sends back valuable data. The saga of Voyager 1 never ceases to amaze me! It's times like this that blow me away how anyone can say there is no God.
 |
| Golden Record aboard Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 |
What can we learn from this simple activity of taking a moment to close the eyes and reflect on humanity? Imagine your wildest dreams of human progress. Are those dreams really out of reach when we've got a 35 year-old spacecraft exiting our Solar System? I appeal to your cognitive imagination, your inner seeing eye and your ability to see beyond what's right in front of your face. Does Voyager 1 hold a deeper symbol for all of us? Could it be a silent petition to anyone or anything out there, even God, for deliverance from the turmoil and strife down here? I don't know, but it seems that only a remarkable achievement such as this can be upheld by such unseen silent power.
Yes, we must tend to the problems and issues of our time. We must choose and elect a President of the United States. Yes, nuclear armaments in the hands of nations around the world must be dealt with carefully. Yes, we need to deal with illegal immigration. Yes, we need to establish sustainable domestic energy. Yes, we need to save the family as the basic unit of society. Yes, subversive combinations of men constantly seek to destroy humankind and they must also be immobilized. All these are problems of our time.
It is my own hope that we can gain a larger perspective of our life journey. We are given the privilege of dreams for a reason, and I doubt it's just something intangible to occupy us when we're sleeping or just plain bored. All things are born spiritually before they are manifested physically. So, manifest it! Gain those long range goals and make choices and decisions accordingly that will best benefit those goals. Tending to short term goals will always get you in trouble, but long-term will fortify your senses and bring clarity to your outlook.
May we be humbled by our achievement of Voyager 1, the furthest man-made object from planet Earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment