A Small Universe Would Be A Problem For God

You may have heard it said that the vastness of the universe makes it problematic to believe in the God of the Christian faith. I certainly have. If all that materially exists spans millions and billions of light years, how could God be personally interested in a peculiar life form on a particular planet like ours? The sheer enormity of the all that exists is seen to be a stumbling block.

Whilst I see some logic to this reasoning, I would like to briefly put forward a case that suggests the exact opposite: that the vastness of the universe can be appropriately incorporated into a Christian framework of thinking. But more than just incorporated — the vastness of the created realm is fitting and proper to a belief in the Christian God. First, however, lets start on a smaller scale.

Imagine an architect. It can be said, without sounding unreasonable, that something of the architect can be seen in his work. This isn’t meant in a crude kind of way, as though a building literally resembles its architect. But still, something of the spirit of the architect — his ideals and priorities — are captured in the building. The same proves true for an artist. Something of her person is reflected in her painting. Consider the way the thick, emotive, brush-strokes of oils might be expressive of her situation.

A cause is seen in its effects. This is why a well-trained eye can look at a piece of art and call it a “Monet”, or a building and label it a “Wren”. The cause — an architect or artist — is represented by its effects — a building or painting. Aquinas, a thirteenth-century theologian, writes in this kind of way when he describes the “likeness which the product of an art bears to the artistic species in the mind of the artist.”

This can be applied to the way that we think about God and the universe. If we posit a created universe, which of course is what the Christian faith does, then we can look to the universe to tell us something concerning the God who created it. That which exists can feasibly tell us about God, who is Existence itself. Again, this need not be crude — the created world does not literally resemble the Creator. But still, creation bears something of God’s likeness, who created it. A cause is seen in its effects.

This can bring our consideration of the vastness of the universe into a different light. On this logic, the ever-expanding, seemingly infinite universe in which we are the smallest of specks of dust is entirely appopriate for the Christian worldview which posits an infinite God. This is a God whose magnitude is incomparably great. So likewise, the creation. The vastness of creation is proportionate to the scale of the greatness of God himself. The apparent infinitude of the universe heralds the news of an infinite God. A universe that boggles the mind is fitting of a God who is ineffable and uncontained by human categories.

In fact, in one sense, a small universe would be more problematic than a large one. Why so? Because a small universe would be less appropriate to a God of such magnitude as the God of the Christian faith. A great God demands a great universe.