Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Makhanda’s R6 million schools boost
  • Important tax-saving opportunities come and go
  • Two concerts on the cards for Makhanda
  • Queer people and sex workers are badly treated in clinics, new survey finds
  • Rhodes University welcomes 1600 first-year students
  • The more you read, the better you get
  • The largest-ever cohort for GADRA Matric School
  • Eskom Power Alert 1
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»We live in a benevolent universe
Uncategorized

We live in a benevolent universe

Busisiwe HohoBy Busisiwe HohoMay 20, 2010No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Apparently Albert Einstein, that brilliant physicist who became known for his theory of relativism and who provided the theoretical building blocks for the development of the first atomic bomb, towards the end of his life made this remarkable statement: “Now I see that the only question is: Is the universe friendly?…I have begun to discover its physical meaning, but the question th

Apparently Albert Einstein, that brilliant physicist who became known for his theory of relativism and who provided the theoretical building blocks for the development of the first atomic bomb, towards the end of his life made this remarkable statement: “Now I see that the only question is: Is the universe friendly?…I have begun to discover its physical meaning, but the question that haunts me is Is it friendly?”

What an extremely important question: whether our environment, our world, the universe that encompasses us, is hostile or benevolent.

Is it against us or for us? The answer to this very fundamental riddle will in the end determine the outcome and quality of our life on earth; will shape the basic sense, belief or instinct with which we enter into and handle each day.

If for instance we believe that everything out there is hostile and working against us then most of what we do will finally be dominated by fear.

Our life will become a constant effort to counter this fear by looking for ways to control it or insure our life against it.
 

Mistrust and anxiety will be our daily bread. If however we trust the opposite, accepting in the words of John O’Donohue, “…that at the deepest level of reality some intimate kindness holds sway” life becomes a space where we may explore and taste hope and love, beauty and trust, every day an opportunity to continuously open our lives to God’s grace and blessings.

In his book Everything Belongs the Franciscan priest Richard Rohr has a pertinent chapter in which he refers to Einstein’s question, reminding us that this is exactly the liberating perspective that those of us who claim to be true believers owe to the world.

“The gift of true religion is that it parts the veil, returns us to the garden and tells us our primal experience was trustworthy.

It reassures us that we live in a benevolent universe, and it is on our side. The universe, it reassures us, is  radical grace. Therefore we need not be afraid. Scarcity is not the primary experience, but abundance.

Knowing this we can relax and let go…” In a way Rohr’s words remind us of Jesus’ remark when, parting from his disciples, he consoled them: “Do not be worried and upset: do not be afraid.

The world will make you  suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world.” (John 14:27) We need to demonstrate to the world, especially to those who feel lost, hopeless and desperate, that this is indeed true. We need to positively embrace the abundance of our universe and share it with others.

Carel Anthonissen Director, Centre for Christian Spirituality www.christianspirit.co.za

Previous ArticleFrom one writer to another
Next Article Three years for three robberies
Busisiwe Hoho

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.