And when the world is created, it is created in such a way that
And when the world is created, it is created in such a way that those eternal objects of God's loving wisdom become actualities - interacting with one another, relating to God in the finite realm.
Rowan Williams, theologian and poet of the modern age, speaks of mystery with words radiant and profound: “And when the world is created, it is created in such a way that those eternal objects of God’s loving wisdom become actualities—interacting with one another, relating to God in the finite realm.” In this saying, he unveils a vision of creation not as accident or chaos, but as the unfolding of eternal objects, born of God’s loving wisdom, now living and breathing within time. The cosmos is no random dust, but the embodiment of divine thought clothed in matter.
The meaning is weighty. For Williams reminds us that existence itself is woven from wisdom and love, not cold necessity. The eternal objects—truth, goodness, beauty, justice—do not remain distant abstractions in the mind of God, but are made actual in the very fabric of the world. To live, then, is to partake in this divine symphony, where each being interacts with another, and where every relationship is in some way a dialogue with the Infinite.
History gives us a glimpse of this through the life of St. Francis of Assisi. He looked upon birds, beasts, and even death itself, not as isolated facts, but as living signs of the Creator’s loving wisdom. In every creature, he saw an eternal object—the beauty of God, made actual, singing in harmony with all others. His Canticle of the Sun is a hymn to this truth: that the world, when rightly seen, is not mere matter, but divine ideas shining through flesh, water, fire, and air.
Yet Williams also reminds us of the tension: these divine realities exist in the finite realm, where imperfection, limitation, and suffering also dwell. To interact in this world is to encounter both the glory of God’s eternal wisdom and the fragility of human finitude. The eternal meets the temporal, the infinite stoops to the finite, so that creation becomes a place where the divine and human may converse.
Therefore, let us not despise the world as trivial or base, but revere it as the dwelling place of eternal objects clothed in time. Each act of kindness, each pursuit of truth, each encounter of love, is not a fleeting moment only, but a spark of God’s wisdom becoming actual in our midst. To see the world in this light is to walk with reverence, to treat all things as sacred, and to remember that in every finite breath, the eternal is speaking.
NLNguyen Long
This quote evokes a sense of deep interconnectedness — between God, creation, and the creatures within it. But it also raises a complex question: if everything reflects God’s wisdom, what happens when that wisdom seems obscured, like in natural disasters or human cruelty? Are those events still part of the divine structure, or are they signs of creation’s separation from its original harmony?
LTGiang Le thi
There’s a fascinating blend of philosophy and faith here. The notion that divine ideas become ‘actualities’ makes me think of Plato’s forms being realized in the physical world. Do you think Rowan Williams is implying that creation is an ongoing expression of divine love, rather than a one-time act? That would make reality something constantly renewed rather than merely sustained.
NANguyen Ngoc Anh
I find this concept both poetic and mysterious. The idea that the world is built upon divine wisdom turning into tangible reality suggests that existence itself is sacred. But does this mean that human actions and choices are part of that divine interplay too, or are we just observers of a predetermined harmony? I’d love to hear how theology reconciles free will with such a divine framework.
DPDat Phan
This passage makes me reflect on the relationship between divinity and creation. If the world itself embodies aspects of divine wisdom, does that mean everything that exists — even suffering or chaos — has some connection to that wisdom? It’s a beautiful but also troubling thought. How can finite beings truly understand or participate in something that originates from eternity and perfection?