The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Family as the Purpose of Creation

Ever feel like communicating with your wife is like trying to decode Vogon poetry? It's challenging, yet essential for building an indestructible family.

As I’ve been reading Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and thinking about the purpose of creation, I remembered that God created us for the purpose of being a family. It is not good for man to be alone. We exist to experience family relationships. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide, I’ve been struck by how the crew of the Heart of Gold forms an improbable but steadfast family. Amidst the chaos of their adventures, Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian, and Marvin the Paranoid Android find strength in their connections with one another. This ragtag group not only survives but thrives, illustrating the truth that family, whether forged by blood or by circumstance, sustains us through life's hardest times. This theme of familial connection echoes the Catholic Church's teaching that the family is the fundamental unit of society, where strong family bonds create indestructible individuals and communities capable of facing the worst their world can throw at it, even persecution and martyrdom.

My favorite part of the family in The Hitchhiker’s Guide is how they manage to communicate despite their major differences. Somehow a schlubby everyman Earthling, an android, an alien posing as a failed actor, and an exasperated, much smarter woman manage to come together with a shared purpose under the leadership of a two-headed criminal president of the galaxy. This is much like how I have learned to communicate with my wife and kids, even though I only have one head. Thanks to the Catholic teachings on headship and the role of the husband and father, I’ve been able to learn so much about how I can effectively communicate and bring my own crew of little aliens (and my much smarter wife) together for the shared purpose of getting us all to heaven!

As a husband, I've learned that a marriage is a covenant where both partners listen and show care for each other, and it’s my job to lead in that. It’s a challenge, because my wife and I come from very different backgrounds, and I don’t have a Babel fish. That’s alright though, because the teachings of the Church are a better tool anyway. I relied on those teachings to create an environment of peace and stability. I’ve learned to work hard on taking an active role in fostering open and honest communication. Catholic principles taught me how to lay the foundation for a strong family by genuinely listening to my wife, ensuring she feels safe to share her thoughts and feelings, and showing that I care through my actions. There’s nothing more important to me than making sure my wife feels supported, cared for, and protected. This mutual trust and open communication have allowed us to form an unbreakable bond, enabling our family to face life's challenges with grace.

The fruits of good communication go far beyond just our relationship though. It means the world to me for our children to witness free-flowing love between their parents, so they feel secure and loved. It gives them the confidence to succeed. Even though, again, I’m just a regular guy with one head and two arms, I trust in the Lord to guide and support me to be a good leader for my family. Aboard the good ship Woodley, we have our own improbability drive. It’s the Lord working His miracles as He sees fit, and He is guiding us on this adventure through the galaxy.

Just as the crew of the Heart of Gold thrives on their unique bonds and imaginative tools, I’ve enjoyed reflecting on how God gives me the same opportunities for partnership with my wife and a shared adventure for our family. When I place my trust in the Lord and lead us with commitment and devotion, I know that for me, my family is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.