کوئی ہوتا، جو میرا چھپ چھپ کے رونا دیکھتا
آرزو، اُمید، حـــــــــــــــــــــرت کا جنازہ دیکھتا

سنگدل ہنستے رہے، میں نوحہ خوانی میں مگن
اور نیــــــــلا آســـــــماں تھا یہ تمــــــاشا دیکھتا

خـــــالِقِ ارض و ســــــما نزدیک ہوتا جو کہیں
تب یقیناً اپنی دنیـــــــــــــــــــــا کا اُجڑنا دیکھتا

دار پر ابنِ خدا نے جب کہا "پیاسا ہوں" میں
کاش اُس دَم کوئی دریا کا تڑپنـــــــا دیکھتا

ہر کسی کو اپنی اپنی ہی پڑی تھی جان کی
کون دُنیا کے جھمیلوں میں مُجھے آ دیکھتا؟

یوں تو بس پردہ ہے یہ حُسنِ ازل کا کائنات
آگہی جس کو ہے، وہ جلوے پہ جلوا دیکھتا

(جَون بشیر ابنِ صلیبیؔ)

A good book for beginners to understand Thomas Aquenas` theological thought, now has been translated into Urdu. Anyone from Pakistan can ask for PDF copy on my WhatsApp: +923433210787
May God give you more blessings and understanding of His Word.

Jesus said;
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14: 27)

The Crisis of Human Survival
The Gospel Message in the Shadow of Cosmic Anxiety and Existential Dread
By John Bashir M.A. (Philosophy), M.Th.
Part-5

The Means to Divine Nearness
In moments shaped by cosmic anxiety and existential dread, the human soul becomes engulfed in profound questions regarding existence, purpose, and survival. In such a condition, although the heart may develop an intense longing for nearness to God, it still yearns for clear, compelling words—words that can be heard again and again to keep that hope alive.
In this regard, the New Testament introduces us to a person who made such majestic claims that they fully satisfy this deep existential yearning. That person is Jesus Christ, whose sayings shine as beacons of hope in darkness, bring serenity amid inner chaos, and offer divine consolation.
Here are some of his most meaningful sayings:
1.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6
This declaration is a guiding light for those lost in misdirection and meaninglessness. It points to certainty, direction, and significance in life.
2.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
These words call to those exhausted from existential search and burdened by cosmic loneliness, offering them true rest for the soul.
3.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled.” — John 14:27
Here, Jesus offers a divine tranquility that surpasses worldly stability—hope against anxiety and cosmic uncertainty.
4.
“Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” — Matthew 28:20
This assurance speaks directly to the ache of cosmic abandonment, confirming the eternal presence of Christ in every moment.
5.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” — John 11:25
This saying delivers eternal hope in the face of death and existential oblivion.
6.
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Take heart; I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33
This is a proclamation of perseverance and hope amidst the cosmic trials and despair.
7.
“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” — John 14:1
In times of fear, uncertainty, and spiritual restlessness, this is Jesus’ invitation to find alignment with God—and peace—in Him.
In all these sayings, Jesus Christ offers direct answers to humanity’s deepest existential questions. He speaks to our anxiety about cosmic meaninglessness, our fear of eternal loneliness, and our need for purpose. He responds with his person, his love, and his identity as the Savior.
Truly, Jesus is “the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
Now it is up to us to decide: Shall we embrace this ultimate and living hope amid existential dread and cosmic solitude, or shall we turn away from it?

The Crisis of Human Survival
The Gospel Message in the Shadow of Cosmic Anxiety and Existential Dread
By John Bashir M.A. (Philosophy), M.Th.
Part-4

Existential Dread and the Yearning for God
When man reflects upon the immensity of the cosmos and his own apparent insignificance within it, he is struck by a wave of existential dread. In such moments, he yearns for a Being who can take responsibility for his survival — or even his annihilation. Undoubtedly, that Being can only be the Creator of the Universe, the One worthy of defining the value of individual existence or non-existence. In a profound way, this very condition leads the soul to seek God, drawing the individual closer to the Divine.
Throughout history, many philosophers have undergone this existential crisis. Likewise, numerous prophets in the Bible have expressed this inner turmoil in their writings. Consider the following:
1. Job
The Book of Job in the Old Testament raises one of the deepest existential questions:
“Why is there suffering if I am righteous?” — Job 3:11
"Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?"
Job questions cosmic injustice and human fragility — yet, through his suffering, he ultimately comes closer to God.
2. Ecclesiastes
Attributed to Solomon, the book begins with the sobering declaration:
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" — Ecclesiastes 1:2
This book contemplates the futility of existence, the fleeting nature of worldly pursuits, and the finality of death, offering a profound meditation on the absurdity of life without divine anchoring.
3. Jonah
When Jonah flees from Nineveh, he is essentially trying to escape divine purpose:
“Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” — Jonah 4:3
His existential protest reflects the despair of a man caught between divine command and personal conflict.
4. Blaise Pascal
Pascal famously wrote:
"Man is a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed."
In his Pascal’s Wager, he argued that since the universe offers no inherent meaning, the only logical hope for salvation lies in God.
5. Søren Kierkegaard
In Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard presents the story of Abraham as the highest example of existential faith. He insisted that human beings must take a “leap of faith” toward God — where logic ends, spiritual struggle begins.
6. Friedrich Nietzsche
Nietzsche proclaimed, "God is dead" — not to deny God's existence, but to expose the spiritual bankruptcy of modern man. He believed that in facing existential terror, humanity must give birth to the Übermensch, the “superman” who creates his own meaning.
7. Albert Camus
In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that life is ultimately absurd — yet man must live with defiance. Even after facing the absurd, he claimed, human beings can still choose hope.
Though some thinkers succumbed to despair and distanced themselves from a relationship with God — and many of their readers likewise drift away from divine companionship — this existential threshold is, in fact, the gateway to human transcendence.
Existential dread compels a person to ask, to seek, and ultimately to turn toward God. This condition has been the driving force behind the spiritual elevation of prophets and the intellectual greatness of philosophers alike. Today, many of us are experiencing something similar: abandonment, isolation, and cosmic anxiety.
And in such moments, there is only one thing that can truly console the soul:
“The deeply rooted, unwavering sense of nearness to God.”

The Crisis of Human Survival
The Gospel Message in the Shadow of Cosmic Anxiety and Existential Dread
By John Bashir M.A. (Philosophy), M.Th.
Part-3

Whenever the question of survival arises, my eyes open suddenly — sleep vanishes, and my thoughts spiral into anxious reflection. This restlessness has led me to yearn for a Being who can take responsibility for my life, my troubles, and my final fate. I have known only the God of the Bible. I found no opportunity in Islam to intimately know the God of the Qur’an, because life never paused long enough for me to deeply study Islamic theology. So whenever my heart was about to burst, I could call only upon one Being — the “Heavenly Father” of Jesus Christ.
To the world, it might seem that I have been cut off from the Bible and its God. But in truth, this connection has grown stronger than ever before. My personal acquaintance with God has deepened. It is not something easily put into words, but it is real — a genuine spiritual experience. Even if I wished to describe it, I doubt I could, for it is beyond language. My words are too limited to convey such a divine encounter.
To be rejected, to be plunged into loneliness, to pass through the raw reality of life’s suffering — these have terrified me. My family, siblings, friends, and entire community have been left behind. The pain of being torn away from one’s birthplace, one’s city, one’s people — only one who has lived it can understand it. For others, it remains a mere story, a distant tale.
But for a thinking soul, such circumstances shape one’s worldview. They force a man to re-evaluate the meaning and purpose of life — and awaken within him a yearning for his Creator. They ignite a longing for the One who truly weeps with him. And in such moments, a real relationship with God is forged.

The Crisis of Human Survival
The Gospel Message in the Shadow of Cosmic Anxiety and Existential Dread
By John Bashir M.A. (Philosophy), M.Th.
Part-2

My Personal Experience
The claims of modern science deeply shake the traditional concepts of human centrality, moral meaning, and divine purpose. Man is portrayed as an accidental, finite, and purposeless being. If one steps back from the social distractions and artificial colors of human civilization — even for a few moments — and reflects in silence and solitude upon the vastness of the cosmos, one begins to feel overwhelmed by the terrifying realization of one’s own insignificance and fragility. I have personally undergone this experience.
A few years ago, a false news article was published in a local newspaper claiming that I had converted to Islam. In response, certain political and religious groups forcibly excommunicated me from the Christian community. Soon after, for only a brief period of a few months, I found some relief due to the attention I received from a Muslim institution, which invited me into various activities. They provided me with immediate housing and a monthly stipend — two fundamental securities that temporarily distracted me from the sense of what I had truly lost.
Man, by nature, is selfish. As long as his basic needs are fulfilled, he rarely reflects deeply on life or its meaning. Profound awareness often emerges only after extended periods of suffering. When one is gripped by distress and denied access to essential needs, the mind naturally turns to the core questions of life. In such moments, one seeks a Being capable of answering the ultimate questions — of survival, purpose, and loss. That Being can be none other than the Creator of the universe.
After a few months, when the aforementioned institution began to neglect me — and eventually dismissed me altogether — I found myself looking at life from an entirely new angle. During that time, I had to travel by motorbike between Karachi and Lahore almost ten times. Alone, beneath open skies, through inhabited regions and desolate wastelands, I journeyed and often had to spend the night in dangerous, unfamiliar places. The distance between these two cities spans two nights and three days — time which became fertile ground for deep thought and soul-searching.
Eventually, I was granted temporary shelter in the village home of a paternal cousin in Sheikhupura, as my wife and children were with me. Though he initially agreed, he was continuously instigated against me by certain figures back in Karachi. After a few months, even he asked me to vacate and find alternative shelter.
My true adversaries were not strangers, but rather certain minority political representatives, Christian journalists and poets, and corrupt religious figures — bishops and pastors associated with the Crusade mafia — all primarily linked to the Pakistan Peoples Party Minority Wing and MQM’s minority affairs committee. When such groups wish to deprive someone of dignity, they weaponize religion and spread false rumors. The entire community then turns against the individual, blinded by a manipulated narrative. I believe such people are, in fact, defeated souls — lacking truth or substance, and thus resorting to such tactics in desperation.
This was a time of double suffering for me. I reached out to a Christian friend and requested help, saying that if my family could just find a roof over our heads, I might return to Christian ministry. He agreed and called me to Faisalabad. But only four days later, one of his relatives — a pastor — learned of my presence and, by evening, began to argue and demand that I leave immediately. With no other choice, I pleaded for the night and approached a local Islamic institution for help, only to be turned away.
That night weighed heavily upon me. I hired a rickshaw, returned to the house, packed our belongings, gathered my wife and children, and reached Faisalabad Railway Station. We spent the night there, and by early morning, traveled to Farooqabad (Chuhar Kana). I left my family at my cousin’s again and went out in search of a home — unwilling to burden him any further. Thankfully, a kind property dealer, after hearing my story, offered us a house immediately. After completing the paperwork, we moved in before nightfall.
While my wife and children found some degree of comfort in this new shelter, I myself was haunted by the trauma of recent events. Sleep became elusive. One thought gripped my mind day and night: “What will happen to my children after I die?” What should I do? Why did all this happen — to me?
Over the past 8–9 years, my body has changed. Strength, youth, and beauty have all faded. Wrinkles mark my face, fatigue burdens my limbs, and my hair has turned silver. Life is clearly on its way toward its end.

The Crisis of Human Survival
The Gospel Message in the Shadow of Cosmic Anxiety and Existential Dread
By John Bashir M.A. (Philosophy), M.Th.
Part-1

Modern science proposes that the universe came into existence by mere chance. Its creative processes are continuously unfolding — galaxies emerge and collapse, stars are born and die. Earth is but a tiny speck among an unfathomable cosmic expanse, lacking any inherent significance or privileged position. Therefore, by this reasoning, humanity itself is insignificant. Man exists in a vast, indifferent universe — alone and unsupported. His life depends on the creative or destructive forces of the cosmos. Born without purpose, he eventually perishes, only to dissolve back into the dust of the universe.
This notion provokes a deep-seated fear within the human psyche. Certain cosmological and biological interpretations of science evoke in human consciousness a sense of “existential dread” or “existential loneliness.” Philosophers and existential thinkers have explored this experience in their writings. A serious engagement with science and the mysteries of the universe can, for many, be intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually overwhelming — even terrifying.
Below are some of the scientific ideas that can generate such existential anxiety:
1. Cosmic Insignificance
Earth is a minuscule particle in an unfathomably vast cosmos. There is no evidence to suggest that humanity is the center of the universe. Therefore, human existence, actions, and moral structures hold no objective significance on a cosmic scale.
2. Genetic Determinism
According to biology and genetic theory, our behavior, intelligence, emotions, and inclinations are dictated by our DNA. If everything is governed by genetic programming, where is our free will? Under this framework, human autonomy becomes a mere illusion.
3. Inevitable Extinction
Every star, every galaxy — even the universe itself — is destined to die. This is known scientifically as “the heat death of the universe” or entropy. Humanity, along with all its memories and civilizations, will one day fade into nonexistence.
4. Materialistic Consciousness
Consciousness is not a transcendent or spiritual entity, but rather the result of chemical activity in the neurons of the brain. This undermines belief in the soul, the afterlife, or eternal life, making such concepts scientifically unprovable.
5. Random Emergence of the Universe
The Big Bang and quantum theories suggest that the universe emerged without any design or intention — purely by accident. In such a worldview, belief in a conscious Creator becomes unnecessary and even irrational.
6. Observer Illusion
Quantum physics implies that the observer affects the outcome of reality. This blurs the very definition of “reality.” Are we truly living in a real world — or in a grand illusion?
7. Multiverses and Alien Life
Science considers it plausible that life equal to or more advanced than ours exists elsewhere. This challenges the uniqueness of humanity and the exclusivity claimed by religious narratives.
8. Refutation of Religious Beliefs
The theory of evolution contradicts the creation story of Adam and Eve. Miracles, divine revelations, and angels are seen as unscientific and untestable within empirical frameworks.
9. Moral Nihilism
Science interprets morality as a survival mechanism, not as a divine or transcendent law. It offers no answer to the question: If there is no divine standard, then what truly defines good or evil?
10. The Illusion of Time and Being
Modern physics describes time as flexible and non-linear. We perceive time as a straight line, but in reality, the “now” — the present moment — has no absolute existence. It is merely a psychological construct.