The Paradoxical Unity Of God And Creation Revealed In The Unity Of The Beginning And The End

Last updated on: December 14, 2021 at 3:45 am by Henry Karlson

The Paradoxical Unity Of God And Creation Revealed In The Unity Of The Beginning And The End 2021-12-14T03:45:50-05:00 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.

Capri23auto: Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End / Pixabay

Jesus tells us he is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (cf. Rev. 22:13). In this revelation, we are given a paradoxical truth: the archon (the beginning) and the eschaton (the end) are one. The future is connected to the past, eschatology can be engaged through archeology. When we have a way to examine the past, we also have a way to engage and understand the future. Since our ascertainment of the past is limited, what we can learn about the future, about the end of all things, will also be limited; only when we experience the end for ourselves will the problems and questions of eschatology be answered. And when those questions are resolved, we will also find that we will have the answers to all the questions we have about history and the origin of creation itself. We will understand creation and its history because we will no longer be tied exclusively to temporal history: we will be experiencing eternal life, and with it, we will find ourselves united with the eternity from which all time and space emerged.

When we try to understand either the temporal origin or end of creation, we must accept that we will not be able to find all the answers which we would like to have. We can discern many truths, and from them, discuss both of them. When we do so, we must realize that what we do not know is more than what we have apprehended, so what we establish must not be taken as the ultimate presentation of either. We must accept the limits of our abilities. One of the best ways to do this is through the genre of myth; it allows us to use what historical facts we know, combine them with the greater, spiritual truths which we have already apprehended, and use them to create a narrative which we know is not literal, but which nonetheless teaches those who study it about the truth. That is, myths point beyond themselves, using the spiritual truths contained in them to show us the way to go beyond what was stated so that we are encouraged to look for and engage the mystery which lies beyond all words.

Myth can take elements of history and use them, but when it does so, it should not be confused with history, for its presentation is not about history but about the transcendent truths which lie beyond history. Genesis and Revelation can be said to do this; so long as we understand they are not meant to be pure history, but mythic representations of truths, we can try to discern how those truths relate to history without being forced to believe any particular historical reconstruction is necessary for our faith. There is truth in the story of Adam and Eve, but different people can and will discern how that truth relates to history differently from each other. The same can be said about eschatology and the way people try to explain what will happen at the end of the world, It is a construction of what people think might happen, and while some are more plausible than others, any such construction is not necessary for us to believe so long as we accept the truths which lay behind the construction. This is why different people will take what has been given and come to different conclusions about what they think the beginning of the world was like or what the world will be like at its end. So long as they accept the limitations of their construction, and realize that the truths which are being pointed to are more important than the way they systematized those truths, these narratives can be of use. To force everyone to accept only one interpretation of a myth is to do it a grave injustice. What is important is we engage the truth which has been revealed to us while looking to and seeking the mystery which transcends us. That is, we must engage the truth so as not to fall into the fundamentalistic trap which leads us to limit the truth to what we think we know.

This is why mystics are invaluable to us. They often speak of the truth through the engagement of paradoxes, paradoxes which make sure we never get caught absolutizing the conventions we use to point to the truth itself An example of this can be found with Julian of Norwich. While engaging eschatology, she knew and understood its connection with creation. When she commented upon the way things will be in the end, she often did so while discussing the way things came to be or through the way all temporal things relate with God in eternity. Thus, she said: “And I saw no difference between God and our substance, but, as it were, all God; and still my understanding accepted that our substance is a creature in God.”[1] Similarly, she explained, “Our soul is created to be God’s dwelling place, and the dwelling place of our soul is God, who is uncreated.” [2] In these two reflections, Julian pointed out a paradoxical relationship between God and creation. Creation is a created other, and yet God dwells within it even as God transcends creation, and for this reason, all creation finds itself contained in God. This paradox is often discussed philosophically by those who engage panentheism, the notion that all created things reside in God in such a way as they are not to be confused with God because the divine nature transcends them all. Since all things are in God, God is everywhere present and fills all things, and if God is everywhere present and fills all things, all things are in God and of God; if this were not the case, there would be something outside of God, something which transcends God, and if there is something outside of God, then there would be a limit to the divine nature. All creation, therefore, is a creature within God, while, on the other hand, God is found everywhere in it. The divine nature is not limited, while created nature is. God created an other which can and does dwell within the space established for it in the divine life itself. All creation is meant to partake in and participate with the divine which not only surrounds it, but is contained within it as well. All things are meant to be united with God in such a way that all things will then reflect God as they experience the divine life, and in that regard, they can be said to be God. Of course, this is said according to the order of grace, and not by nature, for all created things are creatures by nature, which is why Julian made sure that we remember that created things remain created even in their unity with God.

Nonetheless, this unity between creation and the Creator, discerned in the archon, in and through how all things are made in and through the Logos, can also be seen in the eschaton, when all things are united and made one through the God-man, Jesus Christ. That is, in the incarnation, the truth of the archon is revealed eschatologically: all things are one in their created nature, and so one in creation, even as they will be one in the eschaton. They will be joined in with Christ in such a way that, as Julian says, they will be loved as Christ:

And for the great endless love that God has for all mankind, he makes no distinction in love between the blessed soul of Christ and the least soul that will be saved. For it is very easy to believe and trust that the dwelling of the blessed soul of Christ is very high in the glorious divinity; and truly, as I understand our Lord to mean, where the blessed soul of Christ is, there is the substance of all the souls which will be saved by Christ. [3]

The incarnation reveals to us the truths of the archon and the eschaton, the beginning and the end; if we want to apprehend those truths, we should do so by looking to and examining them with Christ as our hermeneutical lens. This does not mean we ignore them as they are, in the various disciplines which look at them through other hermeneutics, such as science and history, but what is discerned through those disciplines are aids for the believer, so that through them, they will have a better grasp of what was taken in and assumed by Christ. Science and history should be given their own domain, just like philosophy; what they discern should be used by believers, not rejected by them. The hermeneutic of Christ is able to embrace them all, as Christ is able to incorporate all things and make them one. Christians should not feel challenged by what science can reveal, but rather, they should see that what science observes offers them the opportunity they need to further engage the truth, to engage the mystery of faith in a new way, providing greater meaning for their lives. The beginning and the end, and all things in between, offers us means by which we can see and experience the truth, and through our experience of the truth, we can find ourselves incorporated into and embracing the greater truth, the truth which transcends us and what we know.

[1] Julian of Norwich, The Showings. Trans. Edmund Colledge, OSA and James Walsh, SJ (New York: Paulist Press, 1978), 285 [Chapter Fifty-Four of the Long Text].

[2] Julian of Norwich, The Showings, 285 [Chapter Fifty-Four of the Long Text].

[3] Julian of Norwich, The Showings. 285 [Chapter Fifty-Four of the Long Text].

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Previous Post

December 12, 2021

Before And After Christ

Next Post

December 15, 2021 Thoughts And Silence

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