Plantinga Chapter 2

In the beginning of this chapter, Plantinga talks about Christ's presence in the creation of the world.  He then goes on to explain Christ’s self-giving love, which redeems us from our sins.  However, it is not only Christ’s love but the perichoresis of the trinity.  Jesus then works as the intelligence of God to teach us when we help others to ‘flourish’ we also can ‘flourish’. 

Plantinga then goes on to talk about creation, and how although he was perfectly fulfilled with the perichoresis between the tree parts of the trinity, it was “an act that was fitting for God.  Creation is something that just seems natural for the nature of God. We can learn more about God’s character from his creation.  His creation is the main example of general revelation.  We can know that there is God and that he is almighty because he has created the world.  Just this simple knowledge should make us praise God with all our hearts.  However, it doesn’t actually seem that simple.  We get so caught up in our daily lives and worrying about our own selfish ambitions that we often forget that our main job is to praise the God that made us.   We can see God in all creation although we aren’t really looking.  This reminds me of a video we watched in psychology in which we were asked to count the amount of passes that basketball players made.  While we were busy counting passes a man in a gorilla suit came in and stood in front of the camera, the curtain changed colors and one of the players left.  Only a few people noticed the gorilla and no one even noticed the other stuff.  I think that we often don’t realize what God had done for us and we don’t praise him because we are too busy with our own lives that we miss out on the beauty of his creation. 

Another point that Plantinga made that I thought was especially interesting was that we need both individually and community.  We are created in God’s image and therefore just as in the trinity there are three independent persons yet they are also in community together.  It follows that a Christian community must be accepting of individuality and differences, and yet work together to build each other up and help each other grow in faith.  This reminds me of a church.  Within the church everyone had their own different skills.  Some people are good at singing and can sing in the choir while others are good at caring for others and can be pastoral care elders, while others are good with children and can help people worship by taking care of their children in nursery.  All parts are necessary but when they work together they help be part of the body of Christ.  Just as God has given us longing, we long to be in community and be accepted by others as well as be individuals and follow our own interests and abilities.