Is there only one place, or are there many places? Why isn’t this like asking, “Is there only one world, or are there many worlds?”
–Because I’ve been in many places, but I’ve only been in this one world.
If you have been only in this world, then where were you before you came into it, and where will you be when you leave it?
–Nowhere.
Nowhere is relative to somewhere. If I ask you where you have been, and you answer “Nowhere”, then I take you to mean that you were here all along or else that you don’t want to tell me.
We think of this world (universe) as if it were a single place with no other places, nothing outside it, as if all possible places must be contained in it, and console or frighten ourselves with its vastness, despite being confined to one small part of it. But just as we know that its history is not the only possible history and that the future is open to many alternatives—and if you deny that you know these things, I challenge you to quit talking and acting as if you do–, so its space is not the only possible space, its regularities are not the only possible regularities, and one’s habits are not the only possible ones.
It doesn’t follow that there is any urgency to change or move. Neither does it follow that there is no urgency. One always needs urgently to repent, but this has nothing to do with making history or moving things around in space or changing worlds.
I’ve heard people say, “We all want to change the world.” But the only time you change worlds are the times when you die and the times when you are born. Maybe that’s why the desire to change the world leads to war. Make love not war?
Is this all just false wisdom and pretentious foolishness? If so, may it be vanquished by Christ.