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: 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 ...