This is the second part in the series by Father Gerard Beigel, S.T.
The Revelation of God in Creation
“As the rising sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all his works” (Sir 42:16). This verse in the book of Sirach expresses a conviction that is found in many passages of the Bible—namely, that the existence of God may be grasped from the very things He has created. St. Paul proclaims this same truth in the opening verses of his letter to the Romans:
“What can be know about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” (Rom 1:19–20)
The very world in which we live is a “word of God.” The created world bears witness to the existence of God, to His power and His providence. This is the most basic revelation of God. It is a revelation available to all men and women throughout history. Whenever we gaze with wonder and awe upon the beauty of the created world—in the presence of a sublime sunset or the crashing of waves along the seacoast—whenever we are deeply aware of the mystery and beauty of the created world, we are very near to its Creator.
Nothing that exists in the universe explains its own existence. No material thing, be it a rock or water, is the cause of its own existence. Even with human beings, we see that every person derives his or her existence from another. Ultimately, all things point beyond themselves to the One who created them. Thus, creation itself bears witness to God—that there is a Creator. Just as the sculpture or painting done by an artist bears witness to the artist himself, so too the created things of the world all bear witness to the existence of a Creator.
This revelation of God in the created world manifests that God exists, but it does not tell us who God is. In order for us to arrive at this deeper knowledge of God, He has to speak to us personally. This personal revelation of God to man takes place within the course of Salvation History, the words and deeds of God recorded in the Scriptures that culminate in the gift of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. By itself, the revelation of God in the created world cannot take us deeper to the personal knowledge of God that comes through Scripture and Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, the manifestation of God in creation is powerful and constantly proclaims to us the attributes of God—that He is all-powerful and all-mighty, and that He is the source of all beauty, goodness and truth. This awareness of God is itself already an incentive for human beings to praise and worship the Creator.
The grace of praising God as Creator grows as people receive the deeper revelation of God in Salvation History and in His Son Jesus Christ. When we experience God as our Savior, one of the fruits of this grace should be that we grow more and more receptive to God’s presence in the world around us. There are many wonderful psalms that teach us how to praise God the Creator. The more we experience a personal relationship with God, the more we should desire to recognize, praise and adore Him for the works of His hands in creation.
When we speak about God’s revelation in the created world, we cannot forget that one of the special manifestations of God in creation occurs precisely through the creation of man and woman. The first pages of the Bible tell us that man and woman are created “in the image of God” (Gen 1:27). God has freely given to man a share in His own knowledge and love. Human beings are able to know the truth, to live in a communion of love with others, and to make a gift of themselves to others. In all these ways the life of man is a unique revelation of the God who created him and graced him with these capacities. In all creation, only man and woman are the image of God. Rocks and stones, plants and animals—none of these created things are able to participate in the truth and love of God as man can. Of course, this does not mean that we should “deify” man, but rather by looking at the incredible gifts God has given to man, we should be moved to thanksgiving and praise for the goodness and love God has shown us. Psalm 8 is an eloquent expression of this praise offered to God for the “wonder” that is man:
“O Lord, our Lord how great is your name through all the earth!… When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god; with glory and honor you crowned him, gave him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet… How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!”
Father Gerard Beigel teaches at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, Colorado, and writes regularly for The California Mission.
© The California Mission.