On Providence

Last updated on: April 17, 2017 at 5:34 am by Henry Karlson

On Providence 2017-04-17T05:34:42-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The best leaders, the best forms of government, are those who have power and authority but do not have to use it; it is found in those who guide others to what is good, and then give those under their authority the chance to follow that guidance for themselves. If God sees the need to interact with his creation, to provide guidance to some particular person, or some community as a whole, he will do so, but most of the time he lets nature take its course and serve as the means by which his providence is felt. For providence is hat which sustains the world and all that is within it, so the nature of the world is itself the normative means by which providence is felt.

Triumph of Divine Providence by Pietro da Cortona [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) or CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

“Providence, then, is the solicitude which God has for existing things,” St. John of Damascus explained. “And again, providence is the will of God by which all things receive suitable guidance through to their end.” [2] The nature of the world, the preservation of its elements and how they interact, is a major part of God’s providence, as he provides them their existence in and through himself. And so, St John of Damascus further elaborated on this:

Now, the Maker of existing things must be the same as their Provider, for it is neither fitting nor logical that one should be their creator and another their provider, because in such a case they would both be definitively wanting – the one in the matter of creating and the other in that of providing. Hence, God is both Creator and Provider, and is power of creating, sustaining, and providing His good will. [3]

Providence, then, is seen in and through the sustaining of creation, of providing a stage for actors, those creatures of God given a will of their own, to choose for themselves how they will act (however great or small that choice is). This is why providence is said to make allowance not only for good choices, but bad, for the stage gives a lot of space by which people can act, showing once again how providence can be understood as that which preserves freedom instead of eliminating it from us. Providence comes out of God’s love for his creation, a love which has God make room for his creation instead of placing demands upon it, so that free will is affirmed and is not to be seen as an illusion, which is why St John of Damascus was able to say, “Some things that are due to providence are by approval, whereas others are by permission.”[4]

For those who love God, his providence provides them the means to interact with his bountiful grace, giving them grace upon grace, opportunity upon opportunity. The more someone freely joins themselves to God’s bounty, the greater and more extraordinary the possibilities which lie before them, each one working for the good of those who accomplishes such tasks. “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28 RSV). But on the other hand, no one is left without opportunity to receive God’s blessings, so that even those who have turned their backs on God find God has not turned his back from them and he continues to offer them his love. Indeed, as Theodoret of Cyrus indicated, some blessings are given to all, so that by some of the simplest elements of providence, we have an opportunity to look up in wonder and find our way back to God’s good graces:

Each of the blessings enumerated makes a contribution to you, offering services as a sort of tribute. The sun gives its light and hat and ripens the fruits of the earth. The moon is your lamp at night. On land stars show you the night time; they also signify the changes of the seasons; on the sea they are guides to the mainland.[5]

All things are tied together by God’s providence, as St. Thalassios proclaimed. “God, who gave being to all that is, at the same time united all things together in His providence.”[6] The good which God gives to one person is to be united to the good given to another person, or even the good given to a particular place or thing in creation. Each person, each thing, with its grace, has a gift which they can share with others and unite themselves with others. What is good can be shared by all, but what is bad or evil, will likewise, affects others through the interdependent relationship we have with each other. Grace and sin both have communal qualities because of the oneness by which God has established and tied creation together. To deny this is to deny how God works in and through his providence. “For the Creator directs creation and has not left the ship of His making without a pilot, but is Himself both the shipwright and the One who planted the raw material, both causing it to grow and building the vessel, and He continues to hold the rudder.”[7] God is, then, the captain directing the ship of creation in the sea of time:

Again, one preparing to sail and about to voyage over raging waves calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the ship which carries him. For it was desire for gain that planned that vessel, and wisdom was the craftsman who built it; but it is thy providence, O Father, that steers its course, because thou hast given it a path in the sea, and a safe way through the waves, showing that thou canst save from every danger, so that even if a man lacks skill, he may put to sea (Wis. 14:1-3 RSV).

Go back Continue Reading

Theological Reflection

Previous Post

April 13, 2017

Paschal Reflection

Next Post

April 18, 2017 Be Humble, Remember Those Who Faced Greater Challenges Than Us

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz