So, only in human understanding does the cosmos develop to its full potential. It’s not just that self-conscious knowers were one out of the infinite number of possibilities baked into the Big Bang. But nor should we default to the other side, to a deterministic cosmic historicism. To be sure, there are rules -- this isn’t Nam -- but the rules don’t determine the game, they only enable it.
Oh, but it is a game. I wouldn't say say that man’s existence implies that God kidnaps himself within time, but nor do we believe God has no skin in the game of history. Even prior to the Incarnation God dips a toe into the drama of history, since man is created in his image and likeness.
“It is important to note,” writes De Koninck, “that God does not act on things, but from within.” Why is this important? Before getting to De Koninck’s answer, I would say it is because God is the principle of “within-ness” as such, and that this interiority possesses degrees ranging from matter on down to man on up.
Which is one reason why we can say that man contains the cosmos and not vice versa. And if you don’t believe me, believe Thomas:
Intellectual natures have a greater affinity to the whole than other beings; for every intellectual being is in a certain manner all things….
Our intellect in understanding is extended to infinity.... In its active nature the intellect is therefore capable of knowing everything that exists.... [T]he ultimate perfection to which the soul can attain is that in it is reflected the whole order of the universe and its causes.
The End. Of man, i.e., our telos. Or in the words of De Koninck,
Already in man the world is bent in on itself, and in God its extremes touch.
For if “Intellect is the first author and mover of the universe,” then its last end “must necessarily be the good of the intellect,” which is to say, truth: “Hence truth must be the last end of the whole universe” (Thomas).
Is it that simple? Yes, but it’s also that complicated, like, say, our brains, which consist of -- looks like it depends on who’s counting, but some say over 100 billion neurons and 1000 trillion connections. Whatever the figure, it’s just a numerical representation of infinitude, since the sun will burn out before anyone could count them.
And yet, this infinite complexity somehow resolves itself into a simple I AM, and it doesn’t get any simpler. Literally -- which is what is meant by saying that both the soul and God are “simple,” not simplistic but indivisible.
We’re really getting far afield. Let’s refocus. Here’s a good one, and simple:
Creation is essentially a communication.
Boom. And bang.
Yes, literally, in so far as we can know all about the Big Bang, which is much like being witness to our own birth, only on steroids. In other words, the Big Bang not only happened, it is happening, and we know it. Therefore, it is communicated in and through us.
Whatever else it is, it is also a message. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, since everything else in existence is also a potential communication just waiting to be discovered by us. But every discovery is a surprise, so forget what I just said about not being surprised.
I suppose we could say there is only one big Surprise but an infinite number of iterations.
With each little surprise discovery, creation returns to its Principle and the circle is complete; only science is a circle within a larger Circle without which -- obviously -- science would be impossible. But it is possible. Therefore God is necessary, but tomorrow we’ll flesh this out in more detail.
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