So what exactly does the universe have to do with god? Nothing! until you allow him/her/it to enter.
So how to open this door to god?
First understand how the thought process of your finite mind works, by making order out of chaos or by contrast(duality).
Consciousness is to be aware of something within oneself, in order for that to happen one has to be without self. The universe appears in this Instant of realization.
So in order to understand god somethings were needed as a way to contrast what is.Lets look at the universe and see what is in everything and everyone.
We got separation, change, and last but not least space. Now lets contrast these ideas:whole(holy),constant(eternity),object(reality).
The universe is a creation of the infinite mind(consciousness),your body and brains(thought processes) are a product of this creation.Now the tricky part
In order for the thought process of duality(separation) to exist in us in the universe, the thought process of enlightenment(oneness)must also exist.
So what causes these thought processes? Feelings that we associate with experience. By changing the feelings you associate with experience, you can change your thought process.
The more you condemn anyone or anything for any reason at all, the further this separation ,the more guilt becomes from without.
The more you forgive(no-matter what), the closer we become, the more unconditional love grows from within.
So here we are on the path of separation, looking for god as a separation.
We can use all the resources in all the universe and never find him in that direction. Or we can continue to blame each other and make our problems real. This can only produce more separation.
So only through forgiveness can we open our thoughts to the source of all that is whole and real, and in this process the universe itself is healed.
This healing is symbolic in the universe as we can see the very process of healing happening in galaxies. A black hole remains symbolic of what the universe is.