It’s a simple question, really. Is Our World Open? – It’s also a huge and complex thought that leads us to many new ideas and realities.

Is our planet (earth) open or closed? Is our little solar system and our home on earth open to outside intervention?

We answer this question from so many angles. I come at this question from a theistic and Christian worldview.

From a Jewish (theism) perspective and from a Jesus-follower (Christian) viewpoint the answer is yes. The universe is open. Absolutely. Our planet has been entered from the outside. We are not alone here. God has come down to us in Jesus. Our planet is completely open to outside, Divine, intervention. We are open. The person who builds a house, even if he lives a thousand miles away, can easily come into that house, to live, to visit or whatever. God built the galaxies. He can easily visit our wee blue planet.

At its most basic level, the Christmastime story answers this question (is the universe open or closed?) for us. Our solar system is open. God sent Jesus from heaven to our petite planet so that He could bring us into His immediate family.

Well, you say, “that’s a lovely thought. But I’m not convinced. Where would you get such a notion? You need to convince me – just a little bit – before I buy any of what you’re selling.” Gallons of ink have been spilt on this question. We will not add much to the discussion here. But we can, together, see one place where this idea – that the universe is open – comes from.

In the first sentences of John’s gospel we are informed of the following: Click here to read: https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/JHN.1.csb

• Before there was an earth or any humans, there was God. (John one and Verse one. (Or we can write this as John 1:1.)
• God was in relationship with Himself prior to initiating relationship with us. (John 1: and verse two)
• It was God who made our little planet, the other planets in our solar system and the 700 quintillion other planets in the universe. John 1:3
• Therefore, God is larger, smarter, more astounding than we (with our 3 pound brains) can imagine and is deserving of our admiration.
• The best qualities of human life are in God. Our best and true light (insight, understanding, wisdom…) is in God. John 1:4
• There is a darkness (sin) in us that tries to push out the knowledge of God that He gives us. This is our great problem. 1:5
• Humans are naturally in a dark place spiritually. We start in the dark. We remain in darkness unless we embrace the Light of God.
• Over the years, God has sent prophets (like Moses, Isaiah…). Verse 6
• Before the birth of Jesus, God sent, Hebrew prophet, John the Baptizer. John tells us about the Light that is in God, through Messiah Jesus.
• John directs us to believe in Jesus. John 1:7
• John and other prophets are not God. (Neither are you or I.) They/we are not the Light of God that we see in Jesus. Verse 8
• Only Jesus is the true Light of God. John 1:9
• God is amazingly larger than our galaxy, yet God has entered our open planet in Jesus.
• Jesus came to earth. Therefore, the earth is open to outside intervention. v.9
• But when Jesus, God’s Son, entered our earth (from outside of it) we did not recognize Jesus as having been sent to us from God. v.10
• Even Jesus’ own nation and people (Israel) didn’t initially recognize Jesus as having come to earth from outside (from God in heaven). 1:11
• But anyone who does recognize Jesus as sent from God (to save us from our sins, Matthew 1:21 – and sent from outside, to the inside of our planet) can become a child of God!
• We become Children of God (are born-again, see John chapter 3) when we totally believe everything about Jesus. 1:13
• This new birth (being ‘born of God’) is essential and necessary to our survival, to life. v.13
• Jesus entered our earth as God in the flesh. Jesus lived with us as a human. He saw Him. Jesus reveals God’s glory to us.
• Jesus came to earth to reveal God’s grace and God’s truth to those who believe in Him. John 1:14

We get these and other insights in just the first few verses of John’s gospel. Please read each of John’s 21 short chapters to glean more. Just read a short section and write down what it says, in your own words. The Bible is an amazing book. Volumes have been written about the question we are discussing. We’re just scratching the surface. The book I referenced, The Universe Next Door, can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830849386/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=a4fd599f53a57c25aee7aa50bc34cbc0&hsa_cr_id=-456154949&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=3a78433b-1dc8-4ff8-bbb9-2e753a2ee112&pd_rd_w=ozYNN&pd_rd_wg=fXF1e&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img

So back to our question, “Is the universe open or closed?” The answer is that the universe is open. We are not alone on this planet. God sent Jesus to us, to show humanity what God is like. God wants to have a relationship with you. God loves us. And God is full of justice. His perfections cannot abide our rebellions and blasphemies. This is why God sent Jesus to be born. Now, we need to believe what Jesus tells us: 1) about ourselves, 2) about Himself and 3) about God. When we obey Jesus and trust in Him, we can become children of God. What could be a better Christmas present than that?

Please explore the questions and videos in this website. I hope that they will stimulate more thoughts about and positive feelings for Jesus.

I’m so glad that our earth is open and that God is communicating with us, right now, through Jesus.

https://www.facebook.com/georgebradley/videos/436920804734210