Are We Alone?

by Bill Lambert

It was reported in the news recently that astronomers have discovered a star in the Milky Way 1000 light years away, which has five planets.  It could even be that one of them could have similar conditions to our Earth.

When the church sought to silence Gallileo it was not so much for scientific reasons.    They were frightened of the idea that our world might not be the centre of the universe.  It just had to be, as the home of mankind - God’s highest form of creation.

Now astronomers tell us there  are perhaps 20 galaxies out there for every human being on earth today, and hundreds of planets circling stars.

So where does that leave us?   For God to have gone to the trouble to love us and die for us, surely mankind must be the crowning glory of creation!  How could there be a possibility that God could have duplicated the human race or created something similar – or possibly even superior – someplace else in the universe?

I find no problem with this.  I just know in my heart that I have a personal relationship with Jesus and am a dearly loved child of God. I know Jesus became one of us and died for us all, especially including me.

So what about other planets... and the possibility that other intelligent forms of life may exist there, even beings with free will?  Might some form of Calvary have been enacted elsewhere?   Might these be  “the many mansions in My Father’s House?”

The church teaches that Christ had to sacrifice himself only once.  So if some other souls with free will exist, they must have been included.

But really, we don’t have to worry.  Look at it this way:  a father can have a large family, but has a unique loving relationship with each one of his children.   It is that kind of special, personal relationship I have with God.   My millions of brothers and sisters in the human race can all have that same intimate relationship with the Father, but that takes nothing from me.

God’s love is infinite; it cannot be diluted.  He has an infinite and individual love for each of us.  And because he created each one of us uniquely different, then each of us has a unique relationship with God.

So, if perchance there are other forms of thinking, conscious life out there ,God’s personal love is enough for each one of us.

Bill Lambert is a retired journalist and former M.P., living on the Kapiti Coast,NZ