One Phonecall

Hello?

Hi… Is this God?

Oh, Christ, I thought this line was disconnected…

Hey, can I ask my one question or not?

Ugh, fine, one question.

Why is the universe so big?

Huh?

What, did I stutter?

No, it’s just, people usually ask me why people die or if I really exist or stuff like that.

So you don’t know?

No, I didn’t say that. Why do you want to know?

Because it makes us feel so small. We look up at the stars, into the seemingly endless cosmos, and all we see is emptiness. Vast emptiness. Nothing comforting. Only darkness.

Does that frighten you?

Yeah, because it makes us feel small and unimportant. We want to feel like we matter in the grand scheme of things, but all we see are planets and stars and nebula and galaxies. Things that are inconceivable vast. Things that are so big we can barely begin to comprehend them. We see all this, and all we can think about is how small and alone we humans are.

So you’re lonely then?

Partly, but I don’t think it’s that exactly. Even if we are alone in the universe, I think we could deal with that if we felt like we could make a difference in it. We look back at all the things we’ve built, and it doesn’t mean anything compared to a world. We look on our history, and it’s less than a fraction of a blink in the history of everything. We feel like we should matter.

And you think that because you are small you don’t matter?

No, I didn’t say that.

Ok, let me ask you this: what do you think of a seed?

A seed?

Yeah, a seed. It’s small and alone and doesn’t mean anything compared to everything, just like you. But you see, a seed will grow. It starts out small, and then it grows into a mighty tree. Trees don’t erupt fully grown from the ground. It takes a long time for them to reach their full potential.

…

Do you understand?

I don’t know.

Don’t worry. You will.

*hangs up*

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