I look out into the night and marvel at the countless stars in the
infinite black void, and wonder how closely those stars may be connected
with humanity. That they are connected, I have no doubt, for truly, "the
sun, the moon, the stars, and endless space as well, are parts, are
things, like me, that cometh from and runneth by one grand power of
which I am in truth a part, an atom though I be."
How many stars are there? Well, let's get ready to appreciate number. I
can see about 3,000; with opera glasses I could see 30,000.
Franklin Adams some years ago photographed the whole canopy with 206
exposures. He counted the stars by mathematical plans, and published his
finding that there were 1,600,000,000 stars. That number is just about
the number of humans on this earth. So, then, there is one star for each
of us.
[Sidenote: Finite and Infinite.]
Each of those stars, practically speaking, is larger than the earth. It
is thought that many of them may have human beings who think and reason
like we do. Multiply the 1,600,000,000 population on this earth by any
portion of the 1,600,000,000 stars that may have thinking creatures on
them; multiply that total by the millions of years and millions of
generations that have passed out of existence.
Think of these numbers and limitless boundaries, and then tell me, if
you can, that one little man on one little star we call Earth has a
strangle-hold on truth, and that his viewpoint, his ism, his little
dogma, his narrow creed, is all-sufficient, all-right, all-inclusive.
Verily, little protoplasm, you have another guess. We can, by experience
and tests, prove two and two make four. We can by practice and
experience prove that love, kindness, help, gentleness, sympathy, cheer
and courage bring happiness.
[Sidenote: The Sense of Proportion.]
These are tangible things that fall within the province of human
experience. But when one wee Willie with sober face tells you and me
and others that he has the truth about the definite, full workings of
God's plans and purposes, I think of the greatness of 1,600,000,000
stars, each with 1,600,000,000 humans, and of the unnumbered generations
gone by, and say that verily, we must live TO-DAY and do the best we can
to-day in act and thought and word.
Yesterday is dead; to-morrow is unknown. Where we have been, where we
will be, we know not. Where we are to-day, we know, and only God in His
omniscience knows the final answer as to our future estate.
He will take us and hold us and place us in His keeping and according to
His purpose, even though we do not or cannot follow or believe any one
of the little man-formed creeds, isms or cults as the measure and rule
for our beliefs.
Those stars testify to the certainty of God, and I believe in Him.
51.
[Sidenote: Success and Envy.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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