Not of this world

ARE we alone in the Universe? It’s a question that intrigues many people.
From H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds to last year’s blockbuster Avatar, there appears to be no end to the public’s appetite for a good story about weird, wonderful and sometimes frightening creatures from outer space.

But, according to astro-biologist Simon Conway Morris, if there are life forms in other galaxies, they will be ‘very like us’. The academic, quoted in The Guardian, argues that carbon-based bipeds must, according to the laws of evolution, be roughly the same throughout the Universe’s 250 billion galaxies. As the paper described it: they would be ‘boringly humanoid’.

But I would be surprised if the comments of Dr Conway Morris suddenly brought an end to the books, TV programmes and films speculating on what aliens might be like.

The Swiss author Erich von Däniken has made extravagant claims about extraterrestrial influences on early culture on the Earth. In his book The Gods were Astronauts, he suggests that some of the gods described in ancient religions were actually extraterrestrials.

That sounds far-fetched but, judging by the number of websites on the subject, some people even believe that Jesus was an alien.

Perhaps the website authors have misunderstood the words of Jesus when he said: ‘You are of this world; I am not of this world’ (John 8:23 New International Version).

But did Jesus mean he was a visiting alien? No, he didn’t.

Jesus was explaining to the religious leaders of the day that he had been sent from God and was going to return to him. His hearers failed to understand what he was saying.

Jesus was ‘not of this world’ because he offered an alternative to the conventional ways of the world. While many people aim to please themselves, Jesus modelled a lifestyle that puts others first – even if it meant making tough, painful decisions.

While many people base their lifestyle on ‘if it feels good – do it’, Jesus taught about the benefits of self-control and being aware of, and trying to meet, our neighbours’ needs.

We don’t have to look for evidence of a different and exciting life on other planets. Jesus offers us a new way of living here and now.

War Cry TSA UK 2010