"Eli Eli Lama Sabacthani!"
Man discovers himself as the end-product of a chain of increasingly complex phenomena. Man is the pinacle of a most magnificent order. This universe is not a disturbance of absurdity, or a blur of insanity. It is structured harmoniously. Electrons, protons, and neutrons all complement one another perfectly as if designed by a watchmaker who gave them their purpose in their function in a greater unity. The universe is a perfect expression of this hidden order, seeing as if there were too much matter then the universe would collapse back in on itself, or if there were too little matter then nebulas and galaxies would never form. Once the initial parameters had been set it becomes a predictable playing out of these conditions according to fundamental laws. The primeval soup from which life arose was inherent in the universe from the moment it began expanding in the Big Bang. There is a randomness at the subatomic level but this randomness is insignificant when dealing with large numbers. Chaos tends toward order.
The process continues, as life arises. The information medium changes from a simple page filled with the same words over and over to libraries of books filled with rhythmic poetry. Chemical reactions give rise to a new class of molecules, a self-replicating breed. How incredible it is that the programming which dictates their behavior is suited for its environment and allows it to flourish, fully prepared from the onset as it were. And why should these original forms of life be so basic? If it were entirely random couldn't the original forms of life just as likely have been ameoba-like? There is a repetition of the pattern of progressive development that occurs throughout the history of the universe. Cambrian explosion. Organisms evolve and gain eyesight which is akin to a randomly mashing your fingers on a keyboard and producing an elegent description of the behavior of light. Inexplicably this principle of harmony appears again and again in greater clarity as nature organizes itself out of dissonance. The rabit goes deeper down the hole. Gradually mankind emerges. What an unprecedented event! Oh gorgeosness and gorgeousity made flesh! Terrifying and intoxicating form! Master of language and purpose! Oh frail mortal! Oh Great Mind!!!
How bizare and extraordinary people are. Not only are we a unique phenomena, we are quite unlike an electron or a cell. The human being can actually see itself. How infinitely fascinating. As far as we know it we are the luckiest "objects" in existence, the only ones capable of genuine self-awareness. I am clearly an entity of a higher dimension. A light illuminating the darkness. Without me atoms might as well be nothing in their eternal sleep. I am a God breathing life into creation.
Alas, this story is a tragedy. The universe is in a state of slow decay. In a counter-intuitive design that contradicts the original direction of the universe, (almost) all composite things merely break apart. All of this incredible harmony and order is decreasing into a state of entropy. Currently, you are no different. You are slowly dying and one will day completely cease to exist. A flash of lightning across the sky or a reflection in a lake. The play becomes a poignant remembrance of what was. What a terrible joke, to be able to comprehend my cosmic supremacy and grandure yet also be forced to grapple with my future nothingness.
In the face of impending doom it seems like something important should be said...
Surely, SOMETHING can be said to honor this intelligence. A meaningful pattern of symbols outcrying against the apparent meaninglessness of a radically subjective world. It can't all be personal opinion and imagination, there must be a dichotomy between brilliance and stupidity. A predictable and synchronous newtonian world-view to contrast with the chance and coincidence of quantum physics.
"I am." Another part of an evolutionary system that favors intelligent designs and eliminates failures. I see nothing more fitting than trying to indefinitely prolong this miraculous existence. The meaning of life being simply to live. Perhaps a measure of futility but alternatively it may as well be another case of successfully adapting to hostile conditions. It seems aprropriate to take this excursion to it's limit, if there even is one. We must at least try to save our ship. And what of this trip? Man is a free agent, a theatre and representative of cosmic principles: succuming to the contradictory spiral into self-destruction, defining and justifying oneself in a self-contained reality tunnel personifying creativity, and the drive to fullfill one's potential and attain a perfection that was set into motion by a grand design that was utterly outside mankind's contrivance. Man is not simply an insignificant isolated fragment, but interdependent with and expressive of the whole. In fact, humans are so interdependent with the universe that when they look at one another clearly they see themselves staring right back.
Now, because you own, you possess.
You have something that they can take.
You remember how it was when you had nothing.
You looked at the ones who had what you wanted
And you felt strong in your need.
Brave in your limited surroundings.
Righteous in your desires for something different.
Contemptuous of those who had exactly what you wanted.
You hated them because they looked weak and slightly scared.
You circled the water hole and thought about closing in.
Now you have it and feel weak in your power to keep it.
You feel desperate to make them see that you won’t let them take it away.
Because it’s yours.
You never had to justify yourself and your possessions before.
I earned this.
I worked hard for what I’ve got.
I paid my dues.
I deserve this.
You say these things to yourself as the animals circle and wait.
Shake your fists at the Hyenas.
Chase them away from your water hole.
Justify.
See them all differently…
Now you see that they all want something.
You get some juice.
Human becomes prey.
Human gets scared.
Figure out that you have to become hard to keep it yours.
You have to be cruel.
You have to kill them off just for looking.
Leave the bodies by the water hole so the rest will see.
Hang spent bullet cases from fishing line outside
All the windows of your house.
Put up signs.
Please break in.
I would love the opportunity to kill you legally.
Let the fear turn into desperate anger.
Start seeing the differences in people.
They all start looking suspicious.
They all want.
The need never stops.
Out there, someone is always needing.
Always hungry.
Always looking at you.
Checking your eyes for weakness.
Zeroing in on the vein in your neck.
As they circle the water hole.
And close in.
