In the course of this series “all” about God we have, more than once, reflected on what it means for God to be the Creator of everything. But while God is the source of being, the “ground” of being, he does involve others in the process of creation. As humans, we don’t give things existence per se, but we are able to move and shape the world around us. Apart from the bare necessities of food and shelter, human culture has produced remarkable works of art and culture, as well as amazing technological advances.
All of these advances are only possible, however, because the universe around us works according to certain laws. Without those laws, everything would dissolve into chaos. That said, if the laws are too absolute then there is no room for free will. The laws of the universe therefore sit between the extremes of chaos and rigidity.
What does this imply? It means that God, while giving the universe its being, also leaves room for other beings to truly participate in the application of the laws themselves.
This is where the angels come in. They are traditionally understood to be responsible for the “government” of the universe according to its natural laws. Of course, if everything is completely determined, one could argue the idea of angels is superfluous. But if there is truly some indeterminism in the ways the laws operate, it opens a space for rational beings to determine the specific outcomes of the application of those laws.
The angels don’t do miracles, as a miracle involves a suspension of the laws of nature. The angels don’t really create new things like we do either, because angels don’t generally manipulate objects of nature so much as keep the universe operating according to the laws of nature themselves, and completing those laws as required in particular situations where indeterminism operates. In other words, they keep chaos at bay. Exceptional and extraordinary happenings are not their job. They create the baseline for us, as humans with our art of culture, to bring beauty to that order. And in doing so, they give praise to God, the source of Being itself.
Still, while nature has its dangers and terrors, there is no question that it has its own beauty as well. We can rightly feel awe and wonder at the powers of nature and of life. In some cultures that awe has led people to worship nature, or to adore the angelic spirits behind the powers of nature. That is going too far. But Christians can and should give thanks to God for the gift of creation and of the angels, particularly those who acts as our guardians. And if we pause, and use our imaginations, perhaps we can sense the great song of praise to God being lifted up by the angels all around us.
