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56 • Part I. The Creed: The Faith Professed
In language, symbols are often used to communicate a truth. Sym
bolic language in Scripture, as in literature in general, may use poetry,
parable, story comparisons or metaphors, or other literary forms. In
today’s world, we often use novels, films, plays, songs, and other creative
works to communicate reality in a manner that simple factual presenta-
tions cannot do as effectively.
Through the stories of creation in Chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, God
reveals himself as the Creator of all that exists, showing particularly
a tender love for the high point of his creation, man and woman. The
majesty and wisdom of God’s creation are celebrated in the eloquence
of the prophets, the lyricism of the Psalms, and the Wisdom writings of
the Old Testament. Through his Incarnation, death, and Resurrection,
Jesus Christ renews all creation, making it his own and filling it with the
Holy Spirit.
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
God guides his creation toward its completion or perfection through
what we call his
Divine Providence
. This means that God has absolute
sovereignty over all that he has made and guides his creation according
to the divine plan of his will. At the same time, both the evidence of the
world that we discover by our human endeavors and the testimony of
Sacred Scripture show that for the unfolding of his plan, God uses sec-
ondary causes, including the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, as
well as the cooperation of our own human intellect and will. The Father
of all continues to work with his Son, who is eternal Wisdom, and with
the Holy Spirit, who is the inexhaustible source of life, to guide creation
and humanity to the fullness of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty.
THE REALITY OF EVIL
If God has created all things to be good and cares providentially for his
creation, why does evil exist? There is no quick answer to this challeng-
ing question. Christian faith, after centuries of reflecting on the answers
revealed in the Bible, provides the only comprehensive answer. This