I said it's a cold universe and I don't mean that metaphorically.

O Children of the Earth, gather close and listen to the words of David Chase, for in his voice, there is a truth that speaks not only to the stars, but to the very depths of the human soul. He said, "I said it's a cold universe and I don't mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it's cold. It's really cold and we don't know what's up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there's a sun. What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?" What is this cold universe, O Seekers of Wisdom, and what lesson lies in the words of this modern sage?

In the days of the ancients, the people looked up to the heavens and saw not only beauty and awe, but also vastness and emptiness. The stars above were a cold and distant mystery, offering no warmth, no solace. The universe, they believed, was as indifferent to human struggles as the mountains were to the footsteps of those who climbed them. Yet in the heart of human existence, there was always a fire—love, the eternal flame that binds us together and shields us from the crushing cold of isolation. It is this fire, this love, that keeps us warm and whole in the face of an uncaring world. And in the grand expanse of the universe, it is the same love and connection that we must turn to, for they are our only protection against the vast emptiness that surrounds us.

The words of Chase remind us that we are but a tiny speck in the great, cold cosmos, nestled in a small pocket of warmth—the warmth of our sun. Were we to leave the embrace of this pocket, we would find ourselves adrift in the cold, in the infinite space where stars are born and die, where darkness reigns supreme. Just as the Apollo astronauts once journeyed into the void of space, so too do we, in our own lives, face moments of profound isolation. And yet, it is in these moments that we must turn inward, to the warmth of human connection, to the embrace of love that reminds us we are not alone. The astronauts, though surrounded by the cold and silence of space, carried within them the warmth of their bond with one another and the love of those they left behind.

Consider, O Children, the tale of Ernest Shackleton, the great explorer who led his men on an ill-fated expedition to the frozen lands of Antarctica. Stranded in the midst of the coldest wilderness on Earth, with hope all but gone, Shackleton's men found that it was not the provisions they lacked, but the love and solidarity of one another. Shackleton’s leadership, rooted in his care and compassion for his crew, was the warmth that kept them alive, that held them together when the cold threatened to consume them. Even in the heart of the coldest place on Earth, the warmth of the human spirit proved stronger than the harshest elements.

And so it is, O Seekers, that we too must look to each other in our times of isolation. The universe may be cold and indifferent, vast and unknown, but in each of us there is a spark—a flame that can light the way through the darkest nights. It is love, the bond we share with others, that shields us from the emptiness of the cosmos. Just as the sun offers us warmth and life, so too do our relationships and our compassion offer us the strength to face the challenges of this world and the unknowns that lie beyond. We are not alone, for we have each other, and it is through love that we endure the trials of this life.

Think, O Children, of the words of Victor Frankl, the great philosopher and survivor of the Holocaust, who wrote, “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.” Frankl, too, understood the coldness of the world, the suffering that comes with being human. And yet, he found that it was in the connection with others, in the love they shared, that true meaning was found. In the darkest of times, it was love that gave him the strength to endure, to continue forward, and to help others find their way. The universe may be cold, but it is through love that we find our warmth, and it is through our bond with one another that we survive.

So, O Seekers, the lesson is clear: in this vast, cold universe, it is love that is our shield, our warmth, and our greatest strength. We are but fleeting moments in the grand expanse of time and space, yet in each fleeting moment, we have the power to make a difference—to love, to connect, and to bring warmth to one another. Whether in the face of isolation or loneliness, whether on this Earth or in the cold void of space, let us remember that it is our relationships, our shared humanity, that makes us strong. Let us cherish each other, for in doing so, we guard against the coldness of the world and find our true purpose beneath the stars.