The Vision and the Music

          There are those who profess belief in a Supreme Being, who got all this started but is not involved in a personal, on-going way in our lives- that He created us & let us go, to develop as we determine by our actions and choices. Sort of the antithesis of the Calvinist philosophy of predestination? Mormons and some others actually take it a step further- saying we become God.

         I wonder if the rejection of a personal, involved God is not the result of the conflict between the belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God and free will. Is He in control, or are we? If He is in control, then how can we have free will? This (like the doctrine of the Trinity) is one of those things we Catholics call a “mystery”- something that cannot be understood through reason. That may sound like a cop-out, but there it is.

         So what do I believe about this and why? I believe that God directly intervenes in our lives to bring about His Will for His creation. The old axiom “God has a wonderful plan for your life” rings true for me. Scripture is full of examples of God doing this in miraculous ways: Virgin birth, raising people from the dead, etc. etc. Miracles (i.e. events that contradict natural law) still happen to this day, as attested by the 300+ people canonized under John Paul II’s papacy- a process that in this modern day requires at least two scientifically documented miracles for each to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church.

         However, miracles are God’s extraordinary way of intervening. He is much more often involved in the ordinary workings of our lives. Thus scripture says ...I number the hairs on your head.... not a sparrow falls... Natural law is actually a reflection of God’s order (i.e. plan).We see it most obviously in the process of conception- all of science cannot force life; it is God who puts the spark of life/soul in the fertilized egg. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

         God also intervenes by speaking to the heart of humanity- inspiration? discernment? intuition? prophecy? Call it what you will- His still small Voice speaks to many: “Wake up & pray for....” “Go tell....” “Stop here...” He sent dreams to Joseph so Jesus would escape Herod, angels with directives, etc. His Spirit also speaks through the apostolic successors of Peter. He even speaks to the likes of you and me, if we ever get quiet enough to listen.

         I see all these as examples of the direct intervention of God. It does not negate my free will. He gives me the right, the power, to say no to Him, to choose my own way instead of following His Voice. And He lets all of us live with the consequences of those no’s, our own and those of the rest of humanity.

         I think the problem many people have with this is that they think that to believe that God works directly is to accept a script we simply play out to the end. They cannot envision free choice within the concept of a greater Plan.

         Not to elevate it to the level of inspired text (I can see my teens roll their eyes here: “There she goes again...”) but I have found the best expression of this dichotomy between personal free will and God’s omniscient, omnipotent plan in the fantasy writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. His created cosmos puts these abstract theological ideas into concrete terms that even I can understand. In his posthumously published work, The Silmarillion, he has a delightful creation myth that serves as the basis for all his other tales of Middle Earth. In it, the One God (Eru) creates angelic beings (the Valar) and shows them His vision of creation. They respond to the vision in music, singing it into physical reality, adding their own personal touches out of love for that which God conceived. This is analogous to Christian theology which accepts the divine authorship of scripture, despite the personal imprint of the various human authors who composed the books.

         One of the Valar, Melkor, introduces discord when he chooses to defy God and tries to create his own reality apart from the plan (Vision) of Eru. Eru then shows the Valar a second Vision, which simply incorporates Melkor’s discord into the music, making of it something beautiful, despite the rebellion of Melkor. Eru shows this vision to the Valar only partially, in order to protect parts of it (particularly the final destiny of Man).

         Individual free choice is the hallmark of those who fight evil in Tolkien’s stories. Evil always seeks to destroy this freedom and replace it with slavery. Yet the music of the Valar in the end simply gives substance to the preordained plan of God.

         So how does this work out for me personally? I believe God gave us a vision, if you will, of His plan for creation, through scripture and sacred Tradition (I am speaking here as a Catholic). We are in the process of singing it into being. We become co-creators as we add our choices to His plan. When we twist His plan out of its intended shape (for we are free to do so), He will simply incorporate our choices into His over-all design- see the scriptures about God bringing good out of evil.

         There is freedom in obedience to the form of His plan- God gives me much latitude. I believe God has preferences for me, but He lets me choose between many “goods”. The quality of my choices determines the tone of my future, but my individual choices are but a part of a greater melody. God will not let my evil choices undo His plan. He does not give anybody the ability to destroy the eternal destiny of anybody but themselves. He will intervene to accomplish His plan.

         In applying this to my own life, I sought first a clear view of God’s plan, so I could pattern my life on expressing it in concrete terms. I want my free choices to give substance to the pattern of His design. I found that view in the teachings of the Catholic Church- a view that balances work and prayer, freedom and obedience. From there I sought vocation- in what form could my life best serve Him, given who I was? I decided a married life of raising souls for Him fit me best. And here I am, muddling along. Sometimes my choices are a bit out of key, but I think in general my contentment lies in the fact that I recognize that God is in control, not me. That is true freedom. As Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, I am “called to be faithful, not successful.”

Third Place in "I Have a Theory...Contest", Apr. 07