“The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how that made it even more special. I know I haven’t learned everything that this journey has yet to teach me, but there is one new thing that I know, and that is: Planet Earth, you are a crew. When you see Earth from space, you realize that we are all one crew.”
– Christina Koch, Astronaut (Mission Specialist, Artemis II, 2026)
“I traveled miles, for many a year, I spent a lot of time in lands afar. I’ve gone to see mountains, the oceans I’ve been to view. But I haven’t seen with these eyes, just two steps from my home, lies on a corn of paddy grain, a glistening drop of dew.”
“And life also belongs to God, for the actuality of thought is life, and God is that actuality; and God’s self-dependent actuality is life most good and eternal. We say therefore that God is a living being, eternal, most good, so that life and duration continuous and eternal belong to God; for this is God.”
– Aristotle
The more I ponder it, the more it seems that the essence of all life is inextricably linked to the phenomenon of consciousness. It is entirely possible, then, that consciousness may even be the very substance of life itself. This seems to be what Aristotle is suggesting, when he says, “The actuality of thought is life.” And therefore, it would follow that the ultimate form of life would be an eternal, ultimate, omniscient consciousness, i.e., God. We often think of the ancient Greek philosophers as ultra-secular, but here we have Aristotle rather comfortably admitting that not only must there be a God, but that God must be a singular living being, and that this God must be an ultimate, eternal, self-dependent manifestation of creative consciousness. And therefore, under Aristotle’s view of the world, God must also be the ultimate and most perfect manifestation of everything that is good. So, basically, Aristotle is saying, “God is good.” This is just one step away from what Jesus taught, that God is love, (love being the highest, most pure manifestation of good.) Therefore, it seems clear to me that the closer we get to attaining our highest consciousness – and manifesting our highest love – the closer we get to a more perfect connection and communion with God.
“My dad said to me, ‘Enjoy coming home. Because there is going to come a time when you can’t go home.’ I asked him, and said, ‘Dad, what does that mean?’ He said, “Well, the house will be there, but the people in the house won’t be there.’”
– Lionel Richie
Never take “home” for granted. Cherish it, every day. Home is made by the people you love, and by the love they have for you. Hold this sacred, even when you are apart from one another. Honor it. Protect it. The very fact that this exists – that “home” exists – is a precious gift.
“Stay present for yourself. Don’t give up. Getting through this place, this point, will turn your life around. Your spiritual growth has been profound. You’re about to walk through a door where you’ll see, touch, and know even more of life’s wonders. It’s your reward. Don’t stop now.”
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