CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

I grew up in a more innocent age. No… really, it was. It wasn’t quite “Ozzie and Harriet”, but it was close. One of the favorite activities of young boys in my little world was reading comic books. “Sad Sack” and “The Fantastic Four” were my favorites. Placed within the pages of nearly every comic book were advertisements that were clearly intended to catch the attention of young, skinny kids just like me. Some of the very best were the Charles “Chuck” Atlas ads.

There he stood, on slightly bended knees, holding up the entire planet in his huge arms. For only a small amount of money, a 65 pound weakling like me could receive a secret powder to blend into a glass of milk that would transform my scrawny body into that of a Charles Atlas. I would be strong enough to hold up the world.

Time went by and I discovered that – this is going to come as a great shock to you – I was not then, nor would I ever be a Charles Atlas. As this truth began to dawn upon my pre-adolescent consciousness, I began to develop the idea that if I couldn’t hold up the world, perhaps I could be the center of the world. That’s right… I could be the center of attention. Chuck could hold up the world, but I would be the center of it.

Some months ago, I drove past a health Spa that had the following written on the sign at the front of the building: “Where You Are the Center of the Universe”. As I began to consider this, I realized that this may be what is at the heart of many of the problems faced by so many people. The slogan is not only impossible in the scientific sense, but it is overstated in the societal sense, and it is deceptive in the personal sense. If anyone believes themselves to be the “center of the universe”, they are first of all self-deceived, and furthermore, you will find your friendships diminished by the arrogant, vain, pompous, haughty attitude that destroys loyal, lasting relationships.

As I would grow to discover in my own life, young boys who think they are the center of the universe are nothing more than selfish little brats. Furthermore, some young boys (and girls), sadly, never grow up. The Bible clearly warns us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” - Romans 12:3. Likewise: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” – Galatians 6:3.