United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

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