The unfolding into God? What kind of idea is that, one might ask? Some might think it makes no sense at all. I am sure many people think of God and would be quite sure God does not get unfolded! Towels and shirts might be unfolded, but certainly not God. I know one person who does think God is unfolded into. That person would be Pope Francis. He used this sentence in his papal encyclical, Laudato Si, which was published in 2015. Its appearance is celebrating an anniversary of sorts. Laudato Si---“praise be to you my Lord,” translates the opening words of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle.
The Pope wrote this not long after being named the Pope. The long letter to the church and the world is an admonition to take care of mother earth. It is an appeal for all humans to make changes in our lives, so that we might make appropriate changes to spare our earth of some of the destructive things we have done in the past. It is a concern that is still worth our attention.
The encyclical begins with reference to the Pope’s namesake, the medieval St. Francis of Assisi. People who know anything about this charming Italian friar know about his love of animals, his commitment to simplicity and his humility. He might just well be my favorite saint. I have claimed a number of times that I think Franciscans and Quakers have much in common. When the new Pope took the name of Francis, I was delighted and a little surprised that a Jesuit, which the Pope is, would assume the name of the revered saint whom no one before had dared to do.
Near the end of that encyclical comes a remarkable section. The Pope says, “The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely.” (233) Let’s unpack that powerful sentence. The universe unfolds. I take this to be the Pope’s way of understanding and articulating evolution. Of course, I don’t know the Pope, but I would be flabbergasted if he does not think evolution in some way does explain how our universe came into being. And what’s more, that is how the universe is continuing to unfold. That makes sense to me.
To put it this way does not mean we deny those two earliest chapters in Genesis that talk about God creating. God may well be creating in an evolutionary fashion. That certainly fits our way of viewing growth and development. It is a clever way of describing how complexity came into being. What’s more, to get the sense the universe is unfolding into God puts God “out front” rather than “behind.” I suspect most of us have a view of God creating from behind. God creates and then we have earth.
Having God in front of us---luring or pulling us and the world into even more being is an attractive way to image God. It provides an openness to the future that resonates with how I see it. God knows what God desires, but we can still foul it up. But perhaps we cannot entirely screw it up, because as the second half of that sentence affirmed, God “fills it (world) completely.”
That tells me God is in the very midst of all that is. God is in it together with us. But the world certainly is more than just us! And that’s the point. God has something in mind for the whole universe. But it does depend somewhat on us and how we co-operate. Right now, we are not doing such a hot job. Maybe that is where redemption comes in?
I would like to add one more sentence from that section. The Pope adds, “Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.” With this sentence the Pope begins to unpack what he means. In this unfolding world---which God completely fills---we find a mystical meaning. In fact, I would argue it is mystically meaningful precisely because God fills it. The Pope gives detail. That mystical meaning is found in a leaf, a mountain trail, a dewdrop and the poor person’s face. Three of these are directly from nature.
Leaves have an intricacy. A mountain trail is suggestive of a path---a journey through life? Dewdrops are formed in the morning and evening as droplets on the grass, etc. They make the world glisten and enhance the beauty. It takes special conditions to form a dewdrop. Again, I think this points to the mystical meaning. And then there is the poor person’s face.
Maybe that is where God especially fills the world. There are many directions to run with interpretation. I prefer to begin by saying the poor person is not me. So I need to pay attention. And maybe that is the point. It is the well-to-do folks in the world that need to pay attention. The more we have, perhaps the more difficult it is to see God in the picture. We become self-centered, protective, etc. That is not what God has in mind.
We have a tremendous chance to unfold into God. Let’s not blow it!
The Pope wrote this not long after being named the Pope. The long letter to the church and the world is an admonition to take care of mother earth. It is an appeal for all humans to make changes in our lives, so that we might make appropriate changes to spare our earth of some of the destructive things we have done in the past. It is a concern that is still worth our attention.
The encyclical begins with reference to the Pope’s namesake, the medieval St. Francis of Assisi. People who know anything about this charming Italian friar know about his love of animals, his commitment to simplicity and his humility. He might just well be my favorite saint. I have claimed a number of times that I think Franciscans and Quakers have much in common. When the new Pope took the name of Francis, I was delighted and a little surprised that a Jesuit, which the Pope is, would assume the name of the revered saint whom no one before had dared to do.
Near the end of that encyclical comes a remarkable section. The Pope says, “The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely.” (233) Let’s unpack that powerful sentence. The universe unfolds. I take this to be the Pope’s way of understanding and articulating evolution. Of course, I don’t know the Pope, but I would be flabbergasted if he does not think evolution in some way does explain how our universe came into being. And what’s more, that is how the universe is continuing to unfold. That makes sense to me.
To put it this way does not mean we deny those two earliest chapters in Genesis that talk about God creating. God may well be creating in an evolutionary fashion. That certainly fits our way of viewing growth and development. It is a clever way of describing how complexity came into being. What’s more, to get the sense the universe is unfolding into God puts God “out front” rather than “behind.” I suspect most of us have a view of God creating from behind. God creates and then we have earth.
Having God in front of us---luring or pulling us and the world into even more being is an attractive way to image God. It provides an openness to the future that resonates with how I see it. God knows what God desires, but we can still foul it up. But perhaps we cannot entirely screw it up, because as the second half of that sentence affirmed, God “fills it (world) completely.”
That tells me God is in the very midst of all that is. God is in it together with us. But the world certainly is more than just us! And that’s the point. God has something in mind for the whole universe. But it does depend somewhat on us and how we co-operate. Right now, we are not doing such a hot job. Maybe that is where redemption comes in?
I would like to add one more sentence from that section. The Pope adds, “Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.” With this sentence the Pope begins to unpack what he means. In this unfolding world---which God completely fills---we find a mystical meaning. In fact, I would argue it is mystically meaningful precisely because God fills it. The Pope gives detail. That mystical meaning is found in a leaf, a mountain trail, a dewdrop and the poor person’s face. Three of these are directly from nature.
Leaves have an intricacy. A mountain trail is suggestive of a path---a journey through life? Dewdrops are formed in the morning and evening as droplets on the grass, etc. They make the world glisten and enhance the beauty. It takes special conditions to form a dewdrop. Again, I think this points to the mystical meaning. And then there is the poor person’s face.
Maybe that is where God especially fills the world. There are many directions to run with interpretation. I prefer to begin by saying the poor person is not me. So I need to pay attention. And maybe that is the point. It is the well-to-do folks in the world that need to pay attention. The more we have, perhaps the more difficult it is to see God in the picture. We become self-centered, protective, etc. That is not what God has in mind.
We have a tremendous chance to unfold into God. Let’s not blow it!
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