Who do we think we are?
If we could suspend our limited subjectivity, if only for a
moment, and see ourselves objectively - our species, co-species (and their right to existence), our planetary Home, our
Moon, our place within the 'scheme' of things ... perhaps it'd be an easier question to answer.
As you read this, there are most likely sand tornadoes on Mars, lightening
storms on Saturn, active volcanoes spewing their inner contents over the
surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, stars being formed in the farthest reaches of our
galaxy, suns the size of our own condensed to 20Km across and spinning 30
times per second, black holes drawing in matter and sending it to who knows where.
Science currently tells us that our observable Universe, that is all the billions of stars in the billions of galaxies, make up only 4% of the Universe itself, with the other 96% being made of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy', both of which we cannot yet see nor measure, however must exist for the Universe to comply with some basic laws of physics!
If, as one sage observed, we are the eyes through which the Universe sees itself, is it not arrogant to assume that 13.7 billion years of Universal evolution was just for us? And yet without 'us' who or what is observing?
If not for us then what is the purpose of such an extraordinary creation? A construction of unimaginable size and complexity, from the space between galaxies to the space inside atoms, neither of which can we humanly comprehend.
Surely the paradox of human existence is simply that on the one hand we're an irrelevent species on a small spherical rock, orbiting one of 100 billion suns in our galaxy, in the outer suburbs of one of 100 billion (known) galaxies, yet all our spiritual teachings refer to our existence as being of Supreme interest, so much so that our human prime directive is the creation and support of life at almost any cost.
Maybe George Carlin was correct when he said that it doesn't matter whether we 'make' it as a species or not, as we may simply be another failed evolutionary cul-de-sac. The Earth, Moon, Sun, planets, galaxy and Universe will all go about their business irrespective of whether we annihilate ourselves or not.
And if so, who will be the eyes through which the Universe sees itself?
Maybe we need to ask,
"Who do we feel we are?"
"Who do we sense we are?"
"Who do we know we are?"
Maybe then we'll find our place in the 'scheme' of things!
