A Message from Invisible Space
THROUGHOUT the world great dish-shaped antennas are picking up faint signals coming from outer space. When amplified through a speaker the signals consist of nothing more than static and hissing sounds. Nevertheless, they are a source of keen interest to many of the world’s most brilliant scientists.
It is recognized that they are not the effort of an intelligence to communicate with man, but rather are radio noise from distant stars, hydrogen gas clouds and some of the planets in our solar system. The scientists hope to increase their knowledge of the universe by means of these signals.
There is another message, however, that comes from invisible space that they would do well to give attention to. If they would show the same diligence in studying it as they do the stars, they would be able to appreciate better the things they discover in the universe.
This particular message is very different from crackling static. Instead of issuing from lifeless masses of matter it comes from an intelligent source. It is a communication that contains wisdom and instruction for the good of mankind.
There can be no denying the fact that man needs such instruction. This has become increasingly more evident since the secret of atomic power was discovered. The nations are morally incapable of wisely using such frightful power. Note what Dr. Raymond B. Fosdick said on this point when the 200-inch telescope at Mt. Palomar, California, was dedicated:
“Unless we can anchor our knowledge to moral foundations, the ultimate result will be dust and ashes—dust and ashes that will bury the hopes and monuments of men beyond recovery. The towering enemy of man is not his science but his moral inadequacy. Around the world today, laboratories supported by almost limitless resources are feverishly pushing their research in the development of physical and bacteriological weapons which overnight could turn this planet into a gigantic slaughterhouse.
“On what moral basis will the decision be made to use these weapons? What ethical restraints will have developed to curb the hysteria, fright and passion of men against such a blind paroxysm of destruction? For if this final nemesis overtakes the pretensions of modern man, it will not be his science that has betrayed him, but rather the complete prostration of his moral values. It will not be this telescope and all that it symbolizes that have led him to the doorstep of doom; it will be the impotence and immaturity of his ethical codes.
“There is a sense, of course, in which the problem we face is not new. Over scores of centuries, man’s progressive accessions of power have always outstripped his capacity for control, and the gap between his morality and the physical force at his disposal has always been uncomfortably wide. But never before have his curiosity and ingenuity led him within the space of a few years to weapons by which he could completely obliterate his own institutions and decimate the planet on which he lives.”
The ethical code Dr. Fosdick mentions as being needed by man is contained in the intelligible message that has come to man from invisible space. It reveals the means by which man can overcome his moral inadequacy. It could be read and studied by almost everyone on earth, for it has been translated into more than a thousand languages. It is found in the Bible.
Here is a communication that came from the One who created the stars, the One who established the laws that govern them. Here are his thoughts, his counsel, his instructions. Here is wisdom from the greatest intellect in the universe. Surely a message from Him is worthy of man’s interest and closest study.
Because the message did not come to earth by means of radio signals but by a method unfamiliar to scientists does not detract from its importance. It is still a message from the Supreme Sovereign. It is still a communication from invisible space, from beyond the most distant star.
By means of this message the Creator of the universe, whose name is Jehovah, has given to mankind the means for building a firm moral foundation.
There is no moral inadequacy among the people who recognize the value of this divine communication and who apply its instructions to their lives. They go to the Bible with the desire to learn God’s instructions and counsel and the right principles he has set down. They meditate upon these things and respect them. They do not try to alter God’s message in order to support personal philosophies or ideas. They study it with a desire to learn what God says, and are willing to change views if necessary. As a result, they have contentment, peace of mind and a real hope for the future. “Great peace have they that love thy law.”—Ps. 119:165, AS.
They do not share in the fears the nations have, because they trust the promises Jehovah God has made in his message to mankind. One of these promises is a peaceful earth under a just and righteous government. “But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Ps. 37:11, AS) “His name shall be called . . . Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever.” (Isa. 9:6, 7, AS) God will keep these promises. He never fails to keep his word.
Man’s only concrete hope for a righteous and peaceful world is found in the message that has come from Jehovah God. It gives the only moral foundation to which man can anchor the knowledge he has gained from studying the material universe. It is therefore a message that should be studied with greater interest than is shown radio signals from the stars. It should be recognized for what it is—a communication from the Creator of the universe. It brings knowledge, wisdom, peace and life to distressed mankind.