The Two Williams Who Made The News This Week

He has always seemed like a sensible man, and today the media brought attention to HRH Prince William saying one of the most sensible things anyone has said this week.

While it was cute to see William Shatner looking moved by his opportunity to compare the dark of outer space with the incredible beauty of the earth below, I do wonder what it will take to make it clear that the gift is the earth – our planet. Yes, the earth is being grossly mismanaged and abused, but our earth is intended to be the perfect home.

The “space-race”, although pushing science and technology, has also shown a spotlight on motives. During the advancements cold war – it seemed to be all about an effort to outdo the opposition, get there first. Nowadays, motives are even more dubious. (“Space-tourism” sounds like someone sees a lot of fat zeros on a bank balance – do you think we will need to take a covid test three days before flights?)

I have heard people say on television that “we” (I would like to be excused from that collective phrase) need to find another planet with conditions we could survive on when the earth is no longer habitable.

Therefore they think it is morally acceptable to spend millions, or billions, forgive me I am not up to date with expenditure (not to mention the carbon footprint) on hurtling ninety year old actors up through the atmosphere so they can know they feeling of weightlessness and landing them in Texas safely.

Oh – don’t get me started!

I do wonder at the presumptuousness of it all though. If you built a luxury house, breathtakingly beautiful, with every possible comfort and delight, a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system, ideally designed to enhance life and help you thrive….and then….then you let it out to tenants who came in and did not take care of it, did not appreciate it, but ruined it – what would you think of them house-hunting for another home? Would you be happy to allow them to move into another of your properties?

On the other hand, how would you feel about tenants who cared for the beautiful property you had designed and built? Tenants who were proud to call it their home.

The earth is extraordinary – I could write endlessly about the factors that make this planet exceptional – and we live on the best real estate in the known universe. It is designed for not just an existence. It is not, absolutely not, intended to be a testing ground. It is very concerning that so many religions have painted life on earth to be a temporary deciding ground for an eternal future. The scriptures state that the earth is a beautiful perfect gift – meant as a home, a home where we should be able to thrive.

Humans were given an assignment – make this entire earth thrive like the sample of paradise provided at the outset. Care for the earth and all of it’s creatures. That is our assignment. Once we have fulfilled that rewarding assignment, then perhaps we might be entrusted with the other responsibilities.

Shirking our responsibility here and thinking “we” can jet off elsewhere, it could be said that is bombastically irresponsible. But I think it would be more relevant to also point out it is also futile.

Thank you Prince William for pointing out what ought to be obvious. You always did seem fairly sensible. I truly hope that you and your family, and all those who love life on this beautiful planet are able to enjoy living on it forever, happy and healthy and rewarded in the knowledge that all of earth’s inhabitants are thriving.

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