In my years as a priest, I have often had people ask me why God, who we say needs nothing and is fully content and joyful in Himself, created anything outside Himself. Does His act of creation indicate that He lacked something or that He needed others?
This is difficult for us humans to understand. To some degree that difficulty arises from us, who are often motivated most by need. We tend to project our own realities onto God. But need and incompleteness are not the only things that motivate.
In the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas has a beautiful reflection on how and why God willed to create things outside Himself:
For natural things have a natural inclination not only towards their own proper good, to acquire it if not possessed, and, if possessed, to rest therein; but also to spread abroad their own good amongst others, so far as possible … to communicate as far as possible to others the good possessed; and especially does this pertain to the divine will, from which all perfection is derived in some kind of likeness. Hence, if natural things, in so far as they are perfect, communicate their good to others, much more does it appertain to the divine will to communicate by likeness its own good to others as much as possible … (Summa Ia, q.19, art 2).
As I read St Thomas I think of examples. For example a tree spreads it pollen for the sake of other trees and future trees. Flowers do the same and interact with bees and other insects. Elements interact with other elements to become compounds. Compounds become chemicals and so forth. An atom alone is very limited. Joined to other atoms, it can become a mighty structure. All this echoes something of the God who made it.
To be sure, it is true that God is able to savor the good that He is and to rest in it, to enjoy it fully. God can find complete satisfaction in the perfection of His own being, of His own glory.
But, as St. Thomas points out, even in us who are imperfect creatures, there is an aspect of our love and joy that wants to be effusive and diffusive, to radiate outward. It is not so much that love and joy are lacking something, but rather just the opposite—they overflow to others from us quite naturally. We do not share joy and love because we have to, but because we want to, and because they naturally shine forth.
When one is joyful, it is hard to hide it. Joy shows; it is effusive; it shines forth and naturally reaches others who will notice it and then immediately ask, “What are you smiling about? Why are you so happy?” Yes, those who are filled with joy and the experience of love seek naturally to share that with others. Someone who has heard good news or has experienced something wonderful can barely contain himself and immediately seeks to share it.
It is the same with love, though in more diverse and sometimes subtle ways. Love radiates; it motivates; it moves out and shines forth. Again, not because love is lacking, but more simply because that is what love does. It moves outward and bears fruit.
And so it is with God, who is Love. His love is not lacking something, but, as love, He radiates. He shines forth; He bears fruit. He delights in sharing. And He, whose nature is ‘to be’ who is existence itself, allows his love to radiate outward in a creation distinct from Him but proclaiming of his love and joy.
Behold! All creation is a shining forth God’s love and joy. See its immense size, its awesome diversity and fruitfulness—and then understand why the universe is expanding outward at such a rapid rate!
Scientists are looking for some grand unified theory, one simple principle or formula that explains everything. In a word, it is love. It is God, who is Love, and His joy rushing and radiating outward, bearing fruit and saying, “Come, share my joy!” People, and especially scientists, like formulas, so how about this one?
C=JL²
That is, Creation equals Joy times Love squared. Love, of course, is the constant; it is ever-abiding and never withheld. And yet it is mysteriously expanding outward. Why is love squared? I don’t know, but it makes the formula memorable! At the end of the day, God’s love is infinite. So then what is the square of infinity? Anyway it’s very big and it’s a constant.
Is God lacking something? No. Then why does He create? Because that’s what love does. But why then will it all end as Scripture says it will? It will not end in annihilation; it will “end” in a perfection that, though different, will be the fulfillment of all that is. Jesus, who holds all creation together in Himself (cf Col 1:17), says at the end, “Behold I make all things new!” (Rev 21:5) And then will be fulfilled what St. Augustine said of what shall finally be for us and the Lord: Unus Chritus, amans seipsum (One Christ, loving Himself).
We are living in the love of God; yes, even those who reject it are living in His love.
Msgr Pope, only you can open up even the mind of God for us. Thank you for your beautiful and enlightening
articles.
Patricia
Hindstein would say the equation would have to be J=CL2 since creation is mass, love is the constant squared and if you were able to get creation to move at twice the constant, love, then you would have pure joy and be glorified.
Yes Robert you are right, God’s joy has to be on one side of the equation as joy is an outcome. There is trouble with your equation if C equals 0, as God would have no joy. He is complete so that has to be wrong.
So I think the formula should be J=L to the power of C
When C is zero God’s joy equals 1 and He is complete. With creation His joy increases and as creation moves towards perfection and infinity at the second coming of Jesus, His joy will also increase to infinity. God needs perfected witnesses to share and observe His Glory and love, it gives him joy. That helps me understand why He loves us so much and why we are so important. We are infinitely important.
It is why Mary is so important. It is why the saints are so important. It is why we need to love our neighbour and why prayers for others and good works are so important. It is why sins against life and God’s created people are so bad! It is why the Catholic Church is so important. It is why we must give ourselves fully to God. This is quite mind blowing!
Stephen Garland
I love the image of God as an effusive generous lover of mankind and it’s fits well with the parable of Wedding feast in today’s readings. Although that’s mostly about mankind’s failure to respond to His generosity.
It seems creation would never end since God’s love is constant and demands sharing.
Creation doesn’t end. It is perfected and renewed through the cross wherein love will be shared with God at the end times perpetually.
What a beautiful and sensible reflection on creation. Indeed, one cannot stop smiling when one’s in love and it’s infectious! I liked your little formula…it is what drew me into this piece. Sing a new song unto the Lord! Praise Him! Thank you, Father!
“Joy shows; it is effusive; it shines forth and naturally reaches others … Someone who has heard good news or has experienced something wonderful can barely contain himself …”
In a trite (but I think somewhat accurate) example to demonstrate this, think of watching an episode of Wheel of Fortune. You note that one of the three players seems awkward, shy, and/or unattractive, while the other two are perky, confident and attractive. You may find yourself inwardly cheering for the shy contestant, and lo and behold, s/he goes on to win, and then on to win the difficult bonus round, earning big money. The contestant is bashfully happy. And we in our barcaloungers are genuinely delighted for this person, perhaps even clapping in glee. We do not know, and will never meet, this person, but we have joy for him/her. Something good happened to this person and we rejoice.
Technically, it’s . . . 0=1+e^(iπ)
I have read most of the Summa. Saint Thomas taught me how to think. Before that I earned a degree in science and mathematics, and I thought I knew how to think, but I was wrong.
I like to think of it this way. God is perfect love. Therefore, logically speaking, God had to create us free willed creatures to participate voluntarily in Love. Had he not, God could have increased his love by creating us. Therefore, his love without creation would not have been perfect. Therefore, logically speaking, creation was a necessary act of His perfect love.
I think you are onto something. Look at it this way – you have created a Trinitarian relationship. Joy, however, is not an independent variable. It is a fruit. “J” should really be the Holy Spirit. The two “L’s” are, of course, the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the motion of the equation, the “Work,” if you will.
Great Stuff!
The T.O.E. = G.O.D.
Didn’t we learn this as children – “Why did God make us?”
“God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His eternal happiness in Heaven.”
I was about six when I was taught this and though I could not have rephrased it in the fancy terms employed by St. Thomas Aquinas, for me it pretty well summed up the idea of wanting to “communicate by likeness its own good to others as much as possible.”
Thanks Irene, I think that message is very appropriate and there could be no better response for children. But should we expect a deeper answer as adults?
Father, I would really appreciate your input as I think it is so important. I am beginning to think that God needs “creation” to share His infinite love so that we (with freewill to choose) can magnify His Glory and Joy. Without us as witnesses His Glory and Joy could not be magnified. This needs to be qualified because we are utterly dependent on God so from our perspective God does not need us at all.
Given our dependence, I don’t think it is presumptuous to say that God needs us, but it would certainly explain His love for us and why we exist (and why Mary is so important).
What do you think Father?
Father, I am learning so much from your postings. On my first reading of this posting I had not fully appreciated the quote from St Augustine (One Christ, loving Himself). This says it all, the pure essence of existence! I think I can confidently say that God needs us! Many people live their faith with the hope of being a pampered pet of God in Heaven. We are much more important than that! It explains why we need to be tested with suffering and why we need to seek God with everything we have!