Gratitude And Imagination

I find it natural to express thanks, e.g., for sunlight and to address the imagined giver as "Lord," although that title is culturally specific. St Augustine imagined that the Sun, planets and stars told him, "Don't worship us. He made us." What they tell us is: "Don't worship any Giver. We evolved, as you are evolving."

It is possible that more highly evolved beings help the development of the less evolved. As we are, they were. As they are, we will be. We can imagine, without believing in the literal existence of, a deity who, with power, wisdom and compassion, directed the formation of our universe and who currently watches its evolution from a distant shore or balcony while his brothers and sisters oversee other cosmic realms. They are young but older than universes.