Across the (Godsome) Universe

By Christopher Aiello

They say you haven’t lived until you’ve stayed up all night and contemplated the universe. For the past two summers, I have enjoyed the indescribable pleasure of working at a small United Church camp in Northern Ontario. To this day, it remains the most positive experience of my life. For nearly two months, I lived in a secluded community setting, surrounded by a most pristine lake. As perfect as it sounds, childcare, while fun and rewarding, is inevitably physically draining, and almost every night I found my self ready for bed as soon as possible.

Some nights, after our staff meeting, a friend and I would walk out to a place called Chapel Point. In the most perfect darkness, we would lie down on the benches and stare up at the stars, and, if we were lucky, the northern lights, encircled by Lake Temiskaming, the sound of the water on the rocks, and our thoughts.

The stars were as dense and beautiful as I had ever seen them. After a period of thinking, we would share thoughts on what we were seeing. How big is the universe really? What is out there? Eventually we would drift back into silence, again captivated by the wonder of God’s creation, not wanting to leave. I can recall no other occasion when I felt more at peace, and in-tune with God, and the universe.