CreationastheBodyofGod 780

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THEBLOG 03/04/201109:02pmET|UpdatedMay25,2011

CreationastheBodyofGod
ByFr.RichardRohr

CreationistheprimaryandmostperfectrevelationoftheDivine.ThomasAquinas

Godremainsinimmediatesustainingattentivenesstoeverythingthatexists,preciselyinitsthisness.
JohnDunsScotus

TheIncarnationofGoddidnothappeninBethlehem2000yearsago.Thatisjustwhenwestartedtaking
itseriously.Theincarnationactuallyhappened14.5billionyearsagowithamomentthatwenowcall
TheBigBang.ThatiswhenGodactuallydecidedtomaterializeandtoselfexpose.

TwothousandyearsagowasthehumanincarnationofGodinJesus,butbeforethattherewasthefirst
andoriginalincarnationthroughlight,water,land,sun,moon,stars,plants,trees,fruit,birds,serpents,
cattle,fish,andeverykindofwildbeastaccordingtoourowncreationstory(Genesis1:325).Thiswas
theCosmicChristthroughwhichGodhasletusknowthemysteryofhispurpose,thehiddenplanhe
sokindlymadefromthebeginninginChrist(Ephesians1:9).ChristisnotJesuslastname,butthetitle
forhislifespurpose.Jesusistheveryconcretetruthrevealingandstandinginfortheuniversaltruth.As
Colossiansputsit,HeistheimageoftheinvisibleGod,thefirstbornofallcreation(1:15),heistheone
gloriouspartthatnamesandrevealstheevenmoregloriouswhole.Thefullnessisfoundedinhim...
everythinginheavenandeverythingonearth(Colossians1:1920).Christ,forJohnDunsScotus
(1265/661308)wastheveryfirstideainthemindofGod,andGodhasneverstoppedthinking,
dreaming,andcreatingtheChrist.Theimmensediversityandpluriformityofthiscreationmoreperfectly
representsGodthananyonecreaturealoneorbyitself,addsThomasAquinas(12241274)inhis
SummaTheologica(47:1).

Formostofus,thisisasignificantshakingofourfoundationalimageoftheuniverseandofourreligion.
Yetifanygroupshouldhavecometothisquitesimplyandnaturally,itshouldhavebeenthethreegroups
ofbelieversthatcallthemselvesmonotheists.Jews,Christians,andMuslimsallbelievethattheworld
wascreatedbyoneGod.Itwouldseemtofollowthereforethateverything,everythingwithoutexception,
wouldbeartheclearimprintandlikenessoftheoneCreator.Doesntthatseemtofollow?Howcouldwe
missthat?Afterall,webelievedthatOneGodcreatedeverythingoutofnothing.

WemustrealizewhatamuddlewehavegotourselvesintobynottakingincarnationandthebodyofGod
seriously.ItisouronlyChristiantrumpcard,andwehaveyettoactuallyplayit!AsSallyMcFaguestates
sopowerfully,salvationisthedirectionofallofcreation,andcreationistheveryplaceofsalvation.(The
BodyofGod,p.287)AllisGodsplace,whichisourplace,whichistheonlyplaceandeveryplace.

Inthe4thcenturySt.Augustinesaidthatthechurchconsistsinthestateofcommunionofthewhole
world(Ecclesiamintotiusorbiscommunioneconsistere).Whereverweareconnected,inright
relationship,youmightsayinlove,thereistheChrist,theBodyofGod,andthereisthechurch.
ButwewhittledthatGreatMysterydownintosomethingsmall,exclusive,andmanageabletoo.The
churchbecameaCatholic,Orthodox,orProtestantprivateclub,andnotnecessarilywithpeoplewho
wereincommunionwithanythingelse,usuallynotwiththenaturalworld,animals,withnonChristians,
orevenwithotherChristiansoutsidetheirowndenomination.Itbecameaverytinysalvation,hardly
worthyofthename.Godwasnotveryvictoriousatall.

Ourverysufferingnow,ourcondensedpresenceonthiscommonnestthatwehavefouled,willsoonbe
theonethingthatwefinallyshareincommon.Itmightwellbetheonethingthatwillbringustogether.
Theearthanditslifesystemsonwhichweallentirelydepend(justlikeGod!)mightsoonbecomethe
CreationastheBodyofGod 780
verythingthatwillconvertustoasimpleGospellifestyle,tonecessarycommunity,andtoaninherent
anduniversalsenseoftheholy.

Iknowitisnolongerwords,doctrines,andmentalbeliefsystemsthatcanorwillrevealthefullnessof
thisCosmicChrist.ThisearthindeedistheveryBodyofGod,anditisfromthisbodythatweareborn,
live,suffer,andresurrecttoeternallife.EitherallisGodsGreatProject,orwemayrightlywonder
whetheranythingisGodsGreatProject.Onewondersifwehumanswillbethelasttoacceptthis.

Fromthebeginninguntilnow,theentirecreationhasbeengroaninginonegreatactofgivingbirth,and
notonlycreation,butallofuswhopossessthefirstfruitsoftheSpirit,wealsogroaninwardly,aswewait
forourbodiestobesetfree(Romans8:2223).ItseemsthatSt.Paulissayingherethatwehumanones
mightbethelastonestojumpaboardGodsgreatplan.Thereisthegroaningofgrowinginallof
creation,andthegroaningofresistingandwaitinginushumans.

Allofcreation,itseems,hasbeenobedienttoitsdestiny,eachmortalthingdoesonethingandthesame
...myselfitspeaksandspells,cryingWhatIdoisme,forthatIcame(GerardManleyHopkins,When
KingfishersCatchFire).Wouldntitbeourlastandgreatesthumiliation,surelythefirstbeinglast,(Matt.
20:16)ifweonedayrealizedthatallothercreatureshaveobeyedtheirdestinyunblinkinglyandwith
trustfulsurrender.Watchtheplantsandanimals!

Itisonlyhumanswhohaveresistedtheonegreatactofgivingbirth,andinfacthavefrequentlychosen
deathforthemselvesandforsomanyothers.

RadicalGrace,AprilMayJune,Volume23,Number2,2010.Usedwithpermission.

Fr.RichardRohr
FoundingDirector,CenterforActionandContemplation

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