My God, How Great Thou Art.

I think one of the chief reasons people have difficulty in hearing the gospel message about God is the “upstairs-downstairs” image of God in heaven and we humans on earth. It just doesn’t describe the universe as we experience it in the modern world.

The bible image of God showed him “up” in heaven looking “down” on us. The rains fell from the heavens at his command. Somewhere there was a “throne” on which God sat while a “choir of angels” sang his praises.

Copernicus (1473-1543) sent the religious world reeling when he discovered the sun, not the earth, as the center of our solar system . Galileo, a century later, proved those same findings in spite of vigorous Church protests.

All kinds of things got shaken up. The immense size of the universe, seen through that new gizmo (the telescope) threw out the notion of “up” or “down”. Later still, Charles Darwin proposed a new law of nature —- the evolution of the species (including humans!!). The Garden of Paradise (seen as a real garden somewhere in the Middle East), where Adam and Eve lived an idyllic life, was now consigned to “religious myth”.

It’s not so much the modern mind finds the existence of a Supreme Being unreasonable, rather, it’s the image of God, living much like an earthly king in a penthouse high above the created world, that can make many reject religion.

What is needed is a new way to image the unfathomable mystery of the Divine. Theology is working to find new ways to: 1. articulate the truths already revealed about God and humanity in the bible; and 2. Develop a way of talking about God where the actual findings of science can help us to better speak of God to the modern mind.

One of the chief insights of the last eighty years has been to see God as “participating” in the story of an unfolding, still evolving creation. Teilhard de Chardin S.J. proposes we see God as the love that pushes creation to its fulfillment.

Consider what has happened over these 17 billion years of the universe. We’ve gone from the primitive elements of matter combining in ever greater complexity to the appearance of living beings!

These living beings become the evermore complex life of plants and (billions of years later) animals.

From this animal life – – – don’t get nervous here, this is wonderful! – – – comes intelligent life (humanity). Life can now begin to understand itself! The power “to know” coming from dust, just incredible!

And then from the ability to know, there comes the ability to love. Over these billions of years creation has learned how to love. Where does the universe give evidence of love? In the human being (“And God said, let us make man in our image and likeness. In the divine image he made him.” Gen.2)

No other creature loves its young for their entire lives – buries their dead, cries tears of tenderness, sacrifices for the poor, celebrates birthdays, and makes dolls for children to play with. If you’re a creature from outer space and you’re looking for this amazing occurrence called LOVE . . . you’ll have to visit the human beings.

So what now? Where is God? What’s he waiting for? “In the fullness of time, God sent his only son. He came as the son of a human mother . . . so that we might become God’s children.” Galatians 4:4.

Jesus is God’s full entrance into the long story of creation and life. God is not sitting on a throne in the penthouse of heaven. He is the power of love working through the process of evolution. Jesus is God’s love made visible – the human person leading creation back to God.

But the job is not done. God’s love continues through nature and human history to bring all creation into its divine fullness. That’s “when everything is placed under Christ’s rule, then the Son himself will place himself under God: and God will then be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15: 24-28 – read the whole passage. Amazing!).

What a long and breathtaking story. God is love beyond all telling and he’s chosen to show himself in the love of Christ . . . in which we have a share and by God’s grace are invited into the divine Body of Christ.

Dear God . . . how great thou art.

Fr. Tim