God --------------> Universe
Matter, time energy
Life
I find that
the artist analogy is helpful in understanding God’s relationship to the
universe and the world. Artists design
and create original pieces of art that are a unique expression of themselves,
and yet the art pieces are separate from them.
The artist is not made of the same stuff as the art.
A second analogy
that can help us understand God’s relationship to what He has created is that
of the architect/ builder. For over a
year my son and his wife lived in a house that was designed and built by an
architect who was his mentor and friend.
During this year the architect lived in a smaller house on the same
property. My daughter-in-law likes to
cook, so many nights she would cook for three, and the architect would join
them for dinner. It was his house,
designed and built by him, so by all rights he could have visited it any time
he pleased – but of course he respected their rights in doing so.
This
architect/ builder relationship between God and all He has created can be
represented by the drawing above. God is
transcendent, that is separate from, and made of different stuff than what He
has created: the universe, matter, time, energy, and life. And yet, God is also immanent. The Architect/ Builder of all creation is
near, and He is free to enter his creation as He sees fit. However, being free to be present only when
He pleases, and being made of different stuff than His creation, He cannot be
studied by science. His existence or
non-existence cannot be proven by science.
God can, however be known.
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