Featured Image: The Universe in Mind
Occasioned by the recent death of my philosopher colleague and friend, Joe Margolis:
What Joe was about—and, in my judgment, the ultimate purpose of the “University,” created a millennium ago—was to ask the ultimate questions: What, Whence, Whither, Why..?
We never finish asking these questions, but it seems that we come ever closer to satisfying answers.
However, with each helpful answer we painstakingly attain, we discover yet two more queries to follow! Our quest not only is never finished. It can never be finished—because Reality is not static! It is always expanding—and not just quantitatively (as in the current Universe with its now-existing billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars, all expanding at the speed of light (186,000/mph!).
Reality—as we discover anew every day, every moment—is far more than just physical particles; it is most profoundly non-spatial reality. It is somethingggg… more, as pointed to by our amazing English word: “Being,” that is, never-ending Be-ing-ing-ing-ing—>
Joe’s quest never ended in the space of his 95 earthly years, nor does ours (at 92, I am chasing along Joe’s path!) That is what our Beautiful Reality, the University, is all about: Ad Futuram!
And we have Joe, and all the past, present, and futureeeee Jos’s, to thank for leading us on… Excelsior..!
Vivat in Aeternam!
Len
Professor Leonard Swidler is a global theologian who has pioneered and contributed to the field of interfaith dialogue for more than 50 years. He has been a professor of religion at Temple University since 1966. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the ecumenical research journal and the founder and director of the Dialogue Institute.
Watch Professor Swidler speak on the importance of dialogue before the Scottish Parliament in 2009.
iPub Forum 