144. The greatest, most dramatic event of all time
144. THE GREATEST, MOST DRAMATIC EVENT OF ALL TIME
What is the greatest work of God? Was it the creation of the angels, man, and the universe?
Augustine . . . says that for a just man to be made from a sinner is greater than to create heaven and earth.
A work may be called great in two ways: first, on the part of the mode of action, and thus the work of creation is the greatest work, wherein something is made from nothing; secondly, a work may be called great on account of what is made, and thus the justification of the ungodly, which terminates at the eternal good of a share in the Godhead, is greater than the creation of heaven and earth, which terminates in the good of mutable nature. Hence Augustine, after saying that for a just man to be made from a sinner is greater than to create heaven and earth, adds: for heaven and earth shall pass away, but the justification of the ungodly shall endure (I-II,113,9).
Why is salvation a greater work than creation? To fix a broken product (e.g., a car, a painting, or a book) is not usually a greater work than to make it in the first place.
First of all, the analogy fails because we are not “products” of God but “children” of God.
Second, the effect of creating the universe is something mortal (the universe), but the effect of redemption is immortal. When the stars die we will still be young. That is St. Thomas’ point. In terms of modern physics, the universe, and everything in it, is winding down (“entropy”) and doomed to death. We, unlike everything in the universe, are being wound up forever into increasing circles of divine life. We are not just parts of the universe. Only our mortal bodies are.
Buddha’s most certain principle—he called it a “diamond” because it cut through all other elements while nothing, apparently, could cut through it—was the principle of “samsara”, or birth-and-death: “Whatever is an arising thing, that is also a ceasing thing.” That is true of everything in the universe; but it is not true of the life of God in our souls. For redemption means not merely God’s remission of our sin but His sharing with us His own eternal life. All things pass away, but we are not merely things, we are persons, immortal children of an immortal Father.
Third, that out of which God created the universe—non-being—offered no resistance to His omnipotent work. Creation was a “no-sweat” operation; all God had to do was to think and will the universe (“let there be. . .”) and it was. But we put up resistance to redemption by our sin, our pride, our rebellion.
The “good news” part of this point is that we can cooperate in salvation, as we cannot cooperate in creation. God created us without our consent but He will not redeem us without our consent.
Fourth, it cost God nothing to create us, but it cost Him everything to redeem us. It cost Him His own life, and Heavenly joy: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46).
Fifth, the end result of creation is simply natural goodness, which is great but finite; while the end result of redemption is supernatural goodness on our part, “a share in the Godhead”, which is infinite. The value of redemption infinitely exceeds the value of creation. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?” (Mk 8:36).