Hari Seldon has a secret—several, in fact.
In Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series, a science fiction classic, humankind has spread out among the stars. We’ve become a galactic empire.
Seldon’s biggest secret is that he knows when the current empire will collapse. In fact, he has invented a branch of mathematics that allows him to predict the fall and rise of future galactic empires. He believes he can use his invention to smooth out the process, so to speak. He establishes a "Foundation" to secretly guide mankind toward the best-case scenario.
Over the centuries, many "in-power" groups attempt to find and destroy that Foundation. In time, they discover Seldon established a second foundation to keep matters moving along if the first foundation were to be destroyed or corrupted. The location of this Second Foundation is also secret. The only clue: It can be found at "Stars End."
It’s a big galaxy. They end up considering every planet along the edge of the galaxy as a possible location. "Stars End" could be, well…almost anywhere. There would be millions and millions of planets and moons to consider.
That brings us to a verse from this week's Acts selection. Jesus tells his followers some of their future: "And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The first part of it is pretty clear. But where are the ends of the Earth? The Earth is a big round-ish ball of a place. The “ends” could be every point on that ball; truly…anywhere.
Perhaps like Jesus’ followers, you too are wondering just where "the ends of the Earth" might be. Something that can be said to be anywhere, can in truth be everywhere. Look about. You are already at the ends of the Earth. Be the living message of Jesus right where you are.*
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PHOTO (a galaxy as seen through NASA’s space-based telescopes):
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/spitzer-20070604.html
* How far do we have to travel to find the ends of the Earth? Mother Teresa told those who wanted to join her in Calcutta to serve the needy: “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are—in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society—completely forgotten, completely left alone.”
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We'll be together again this week on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place. Join us for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at 8:00 on Friday morning. We're going to eat some food (all from Earth) and we're going to discuss some creation-spanning ideas from this week's Lectionary scriptures.
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Ascension of the Lord (May 18, 2023)
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47 or Psalm 93
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=45
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_AscensionoftheLord.pdf
Seventh Sunday of Easter (May 21, 2023)
Acts 1:6-14
Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
John 17:1-11
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=46
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_SeventhSundayofEaster.pdf
1 comment:
Thanks for another thought-provoking meditation, Steve. My father, who came to his faith as a young man (and after a pretty wild life before then), said that reading the FOUNDATION trilogy sa a teen-ager shook him and ended his pursuit of faith for several years. It's a profoundly moving trilogy and didn't have that kind of impact on me ... perhaps because by that point my dad had found Jesus and I had a good grounding in my faith.
Bob
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