The World Is Upheld by God's Word. Christians call it “the Fall” – the Fall of humanity. We now live in a Fallen world.  Last week we reviewed the story. How Adam, to whom God had given dominion of the world, chose against God and brought evil into the world. Now the world is in the power of the evil one, the devil, called in Scripture the ruler or prince of this world. End of story? No! Most people know the climax of God’s story with humanity is salvation in Jesus Christ. Yes. But let’s not rush the story. It is also true that God has chosen space and time, spirit and matter, to work out His designs, His plan. Scholars call it “salvation history.” We’re still in the midst of it. The Bible reveals God’s plan – it’s no secret. Paragraph 1 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church sums it up most succinctly: “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life.” – Catch that: God’s plan is ...

The World Now Fallen.       We have begun looking at what Jesus Christ and the Bible tell us about this world.       In creating humankind, God’s goodness made us in His own image and likeness ( Gen1:26-27 ; Wis 2:23 ), part of which includes our intellect (ability to reason) and will (ability to choose, to act or not act). With these powers we have freedom of choice or “free will.” Free will attains its highest purpose, its perfection, when directed towards God.       What if we use our free will to direct our actions in opposition to God – against the Good?       That brings about evil. All of God’s creation is “very good” ( Gen 1:31 ), but we have now removed some of that good by our willing something contrary to the Good, God. We have brought about some evil. All the evil we see in the world comes from humanity (and fallen angels) exercising their free will against God – God the total Goo...

The World: Very Good.       Last week’s article began a series looking at what Jesus Christ and the Bible tell us about the world, particularly our current up-side-down world where lies abound, and how we should live in it. It all begins with Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God also says all that He created is “good” ( Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 20, 25 ) and “very good” ( Gen 1:31 ).       Now, really, is everything in the world good? How can it be? In this crazy, evil world?       I know a guy who regularly says, “Well, we live in dualism,” or that things are this way “so long as we live in a dualistic universe.” He’s part of a crowd of folks in the world who believe that in order for a god of light and good to create matter (or density), that there had to be a corresponding god of darkness and evil, and both must always be in balance. They believe nothing could exist without that balance ...

Today's Seemingly Up-Side-Down World.        Have you been wondering what has happened to our world? How so much seems to have become upside down? Do we know what’s going on? Really?       For example, many people in Ukraine are suffering and displaced, yes. Is it because of a war where Russia is the aggressor? Or is the Ukraine still part of Russia’s territory and Russia is doing a policing operation to stop the last eight years’ slaughter of thousands of Russian people living in the Donbas area? Or is the world really controlled by a cabal/mafia/deep state and Russia is now cleaning up a central stronghold? Or is it just another plan for oligarchs of both Russia and the West to reap billions more of wealth from the military industrial complex? It depends who you listen to, doesn’t it?       In mid-June the NY Times reported President Biden saying the U.S. has no awareness of what is going on in the Ukraine unles...