“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.”

The title you just read is a famous quote by one of the most notable philosophers to grace this planet, Friedrich Nietzsche.

Though I haven’t read any of his work, amidst the content I consume, this quote was referenced.

A quick Wikipedia search will tell you that Nietzsche was an atheist.

An atheist is someone who doesn’t believe in God.

So how can something be dead but also not exist?

Exactly.

Nietzsche witnessed the decline of religion, particularly in the West, and saw the good and bad that came from it.

While he favorably viewed the freedom from religion, with its varying rules and dogmas, he also noted that with its removal, what are humans to base their morality and ethics on?

The reason I’m saying all this is because I think trying to base everything—our many petty worries and vast desires—solely on logic can only get us so far.

This realization struck me during one of my recent runs in my neighborhood.

Taking a slightly different route home, I passed a house where perennials overflowed from bushes into the walkway, and more bushes from the sidewalk poured into said walkway.

As I ran through this tunnel of flowers, I was hit with the most potent floral scent I’ve ever smelled, stronger than any store-bought bouquet.

And what’s the logical reason for this?

A Google search tells me that bees rely more on their sense of sight than smell, being able to detect blues, greens, and ultraviolet light.

Just because they smell nice doesn’t mean we can eat them, so what gives?

Why are rolling green hills of lavender and orange poppy and sandy beaches with overhanging rock cliffs and snowy mountains that touch the clouds appealing?

What about music, art, food, and attractive people?

What is the logical reason for humans to find enjoyment in any of these things?

I can’t say which religion is the right one, but maybe God isn’t dead.

Maybe he, she, or it is right in front of us, though the scents of flowers are too trivial and mundane; more so, the essence of a creator is becoming far too difficult, especially when competing with flashing lights, addictive mediums, and digital wastelands.

But I digress,

— George