Existence (or - quad-dimensional living, the fundamental fabric of the universe, the essence of God, and hitchhiking)

I have had a few realizations lately that I am going to try to put into words.  Digital words.

1: My place within the physical universe.

2: My relationship with the rest of the universe.

I had the realization the other day that I am a single being within a possibly infinite amount of space filled with a possibly infinite amount of other single beings.  I am a singular being within the infinity of existence.

I realized I usually look at the world, I look at my life as a painting.  I look at things through my eyes.  Yes, I recognize the fact that there are three dimensions and that some things are closer to me than others, but that doesn't matter to that which is me.  I am me and I am here.  The distance between me and not me is irrelevant.  But for a moment I realized that it wasn't.

I usually experience the world through my mind.  I am the star in my sitcom of myself.  I am the lead in the play of myself.  I am the focal point of the portrait of myself.  Even if no one else is observing.  I am me and that is all.  But it isn't.

You have a painting.  Other than the paint which itself has thickness, the presentation is two-dimensional.  You have holograms and 3D movies that present things with the illusion of three dimensions.  You also have video games in which your character exists within a digitally represented three-dimensional space.  But your experience and interaction are still two-dimensional.  We, I interpret the world two-dimensionally.  But for a moment the other day I was aware of more.

Let's take the three physical dimensions we are commonly aware of: height, depth, and width.  I am a finite amount of physical matter within those three dimensions that can move and interact with other matter withing those three dimensions.  I am a single being withing an unimaginably vast existence contained within those three dimensions.  I move around from day to day from point A to B and back again.  A and B do not exist around me.  A and B exist.  I exist.  A, B, and I all exist equally and with the same significance.  I simple interact with them...sometimes.  They still exist without me.  Places exist.  They continue to exist.  People exist just as much as I do.  They experience just as much as I do.  They are just as aware of themselves as I am aware of me.  They are just as unaware of me as I am unaware of them.  Yet I still exist.  And they still exist.

I am not alone.

You are not alone.

The universe is so much more expansive and more real than what we experience at any given point in our lives.

Any given point...

Time.  What about time?  What if we take time as a fourth dimension as has been presented many times before by other people that think and exist just as much as you or me.

Time is the representation and calculable measurement of change and existence.  I propose that time does not flow.  We simply exist.  Time is not a line.  It is not a river.  There is no such thing as time.  Just as there is no such thing as a meter or a foot.  The universe, within the three previously mentioned physical dimensions, does not know a foot.  The universe does not exist in pre-determined twelve inch segments.  Curious men decided to make these things to figure out how to physically represent the amount of space between two things.  The universe does also not know seconds, minutes, or hours.  Similar men designed these things to figure out how long we've been here or to measure the metaphorical distance between two experiences.

So, if we say time is our fourth dimension, I am a single instance in that dimension.  I, in my consciousness, exist right now.  So do many, many other people just as conscious and real as I am.  The universe does not experience itself through my eyes like I do.  Everything else exists in its entirety.  I simple view minute portions of it.

So, with this realization that I am a singular being within a sea of other singular beings, how am I to interact with the rest of this three dimensional universe?

This is where I am going to skip a few things.  For instance, I am skipping any thoughts I have on realization of the existence of God.  For this entry, I am just going with the idea that God does exist.  I am simply talking about His nature and how that affects the way I live/should live.

However, I do want to be clear.  I am not talking about what most people will view as God.  I have mentioned in previous posts that I am a Christian.  That is going to bring up a lot of ideas in a lot of people's minds.  Some of them good, some of them not.  When I use the word "God" we will undoubtedly think of different things.  I do not claim to fully understand God.  However, do not picture any pre-conjured ideas about what you think God is or what you think I think God is.  I am going with a very basic description for now.  It is a true description with many different implications.  I am just keeping it simple for now.

Look at the world.  Look at the complexities.  Look at the way everything works together.  Look at the way everything has to work together.  Ecosystems, societies, the solar system, the weather, the immune system, diets, the human eyeball.  Nothing is solitary.  Everything is connected and affects other things in some way.  Things have to work together.  Nothing can operate on its own if it wants to be successful.  If I have to work together with other people, plants, animals, etc... within this three dimensional existence then I have to learn to love.  If I am working only for myself to further myself and take care of myself I will fail.  We see examples of it happening every day.  People who act selfishly inevitably fail.  They may have temporary facades of success but we all know and realize they fail in the end.  And sometimes before the end.  Acting in that way, a way that fails and is therefore futile, is selfish.  The opposite of being selfish is loving.

What is love then?  What if we say love is living for the betterment of someone/something else.  This may mean that you are working at the betterment of someone else at your own expense.  It doesn't always mean that, but it may occasionally.  This does not mean that you do something nice for someone else so that they will do something nice for you.  "I scratch your back so that eventually I can call it in and you can scratch mine."  That doesn't work.  It's not love when it leads back to me.  Love has to be solely for the other person.

Altruism?  No.  Just because something is good for you or benefits you does not mean it is bad.  You cannot deny yourself good things.  If you did you wouldn't eat, drink, or sleep and the human population would make it about four days. That's just stupid.

Good things for myself do not equate bad.  But that shouldn't be my focus.  Everything in life has been designed to work in harmony with everything else and I should be a part of that system.  That system is love.

I believe that is what being a Christian means.  To be a loving person.  And to be a loving person, like, always.  In general.  To everyone.  Everything.

I believe that God created the universe.  I have come to believe that the universe works in harmony with itself and all its respective pieces interact with all the other pieces because God is love.  Not that God is a god of love like Mars is the god of war.  I mean that God is love.  It is His very nature.  It defines His existence.  And He created the universe.  Therefore the basic moral and functional code of the universe is love.

I do not believe Christianity is following a bunch of rules.  I do not believe that you have to follow "these" X number of steps or rules to find happiness or success.  I do not believe you have do do X, Y, and Z to have a happy marriage.  I believe that the answer to it all is love.

What is the meaning to life, the universe, and everything?  (think deep for the 42 kudo points on this reference)

Love!

Why do we exist?  To love!

What is the chief end of man?  "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  K, what does that mean?  "Glorify God."  How do we do that?  How do you suppose we could glorify a God of love?  A God whose very existence is love?

Honestly...no idea...

DUH, love!

"But what about me?  If I'm so concerned about loving everyone else, who will love me?"

That is a valid question!  Everyone needs to be loved.  That is true.  And not just loved, but people need to know they are loved.  It doesn't count to love someone from a distance and do nothing about it.  K, to be honest, that's not really love.

And here's a complication: people cannot love 100%.  Humans are broken.  I love my wife, but not perfectly.  Sometimes, I just suck... :(  I try to love her the best I can, but I honestly fail...sometimes with epicness.

So what do we do.

Remember that whole God is love thing?  God loves us.  God loves me.  God loves you.  And God loves perfectly.  So, if God loves perfectly, I don't have to worry about it.  I can love other people as best I can because I know I am covered.

The Ten Commandments (other than being a REALLY long movie) is a list of what things should and will look like when you love.  They are NOT a list of what you should do to be a good Christian.  Your goal in life should not be to be happy.  Your goal in life should be to love.  Because God is a God of love and he created the universe.  When you love you get closer to God.  You get closer to the One who created the universe.  And that is a happy place.

When you love, you are closer to the heart, the core of the universe.  When your goal is to be closer to God you end up getting closer to the fundamental fabric of the universe.  And that's a good thing!

There are other issues that arise and questions that people ask about all of this: then why do bad things happen?  If God loves everyone then why do people go to hell?

These are fantastic questions that should be asked.  Secrets don't help.  However, this blog is already really long so I'm gonna call it a night for now and delve into my thinking about some of those later this week.