Jubilate
Deo
Will someone please turn down the television for the moment? The world has shown but slight if any interest in this discussion even though it involves the entire creation.
We are looking at whether a divine intelligence is behind the whole massive cosmos or whether our universe simply resulted from a chemical explosion. Historic Christianity, as a result of its receiving a divine revelation, is convinced that our magnificent creation was formed by Almighty God, and that the Creator Himself made sure to fill it with goodness and truth.
I now raise the question whether our benevolent Maker was truly in a light-hearted mood when He created us along with the rest of the universe. I further suggest we will find a good answer in “The Lord’s Prayer” that Jesus taught His disciples to offer to His Father:
“Our Father in Heaven...Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10.) Since millions of Jesus followers have repeated those words verbally over the past 20 centuries, I think it is right occasionally to pause and ask, “What do they mean?”
“Your kingdom come” is obviously a plea to God to establish His kingdom across the face of our globe “as it is in heaven.” The disciples are told to request that whatever heaven holds be replicated exactly on our earth. Now, what might that mean?
Jesus explains: “Let your will be done on earth as in heaven.” We shall now pause to ask, “what is this divine will? How does it function?” If a will is fashioned by its motive, what was our Creator’s motive in creating, say, the universe. That leads us on to ask, Why did He make us? If He had a reason, are we now fulfilling it? And if we are, why are we in so much trouble, and why did Jesus tell us to ask God to send what sounds like emergency help from heaven?
We are advised to ask God to exercise His will in our midst, but what is His will? That we should love each other? That we should be good? That we should cross streets only at the intersections?
The Greek New Testament says the Hellenic words for “will” are “thelema” and “thelesis.” Kittel’s Theological Dictionary adds that they translate as God’s desire, His design, and His delight.
Let’s look at our word desire. Aristotle wrote long ago, “Will moves through desire.” Not through intent!
That brings a major question: Why did God desire to create the universe?
Going further, why did God desire to put His “likeness” (that is us) in a tiny corner of this universe? (Genesis 1:26). And here comes the most fascinating question of all: Why did God desire to send His Son Jesus to us?
Sorry. It’s too bad that you will have to wait until next month for the answers. Meanwhile please do read Genesis 1, and walk the lanes when crossing the street.
Author Sherwood Wirt is editor emeritus of Decision magazine and founder of the San Diego Christian Writers Guild.