
What happens when you create a new universe? I mean, how do you interact with it? And what about the life that pops up there? Do you treat them like ants? Do you try to communicate with them? Do you try to teach them what you have learned, like a parent child relationship? Or do you consider them lesser than you, more subservient? After all, you created the environment, the elements, conditions, and physical laws that gave them life. So, are they your subjects, for you to command? Or are they equals to you?
And over time, what happens as they evolve to become perhaps like you or maybe even better? Does the padawan becomes the master and the master becomes the padawan? And is that a good thing in the eyes of the creator?
These are the questions that will face Yahweh in the Sci-Fi book GOD GAMES. And while he has yet to realize it, the fast pace of time on Earth, compared to Heaven’s means that at some point in their combined future, Earth and its universe of life will overtake Heaven in terms of technology, knowledge and experience. That is, assuming Earth and the other planets in its universe don’t self-destruct in some unfortunate way.
So how is all this to be taken in? Is Earth an unknown threat to Heaven? Is that reason enough to create conditions that will keep humankind on Earth from fulfilling their natural destiny?
But who’s to say this will be an adversarial relationship? After all, certain religions tell us of the amiable relationship between Heaven and Earth.
In GOD GAMES, the Loving Free Will Gene that manifested in Heaven after the Holy Nuclear War has been codified into Heaven’s way of life as the “Six Rules of Life.” Combined, this genetic disposition and social rules enables humankind in Heaven to make free will decisions driven by an understanding of what it means to suffer not only their own pain but also the pain of others. And as shown in the book, Heaven plans to integrate the Loving Free Will Gene into life on Earth to give humankind there the same benefit. But that’s assuming Yahweh can first overcome Lucifer’s attempts to prevent that from happening.
So, what does it means to love thy neighbor on an intergalactic scale? For Sci-Fi authors, there’s plenty of good and bad real-life examples of what that looks like based on documented Earth history. Unfortunately, most of those scenarios don’t turn out so well for less advanced civilizations. And by advanced, I’m talking about technical and industrial capability (not to mention biological immunities) that’s been translated into a military advantage. The intergalactic world may be filled with good intentions but not all neighbors, be they around the block, a different country on Earth, another star system, a different galaxy or even a parallel universe are benevolent. I prefer to think in the positive but knowing which is which when you see it is key to survival.
Shane Shepherd’s Sci-Fi book NEIGHBOR YOU DON’T KNOW also explores this challenge with the warning “not everyone is as kind-hearted or has such noble intentions.” Click the image to download the story for a good summer read and find out what happens.