Extraterrestrial hydrocarbons have been known for some time, within the Solar System. The only evidence for biological activity off the Earth has been controversial fossil evidence, and Gilbert Levin’s experiment aboard the Viking lander on Mars.
We couldn’t spot a vacation home on one of Jupiter’s moons from here, much less around another star.
You’re right that we’ve seen no evidence of biological activity. I’m not really expecting any (though if we found some it wouldn’t upset my applecart...) But the building blocks are there, quite simply because we are made of the same stuff.
We’re an island of life in a dead universe, but the elements are all there for life to spread. I assume that our purpose includes spreading it...
Its going to take a while though, since we haven’t figured how to get ourselves off earth in any numbers or for any length of time. (And, then, there is all that radiation waiting to cook us once we get away from earth...) But I believe this is something we need to be doing. Its our “destiny”.