The Necessity of Sacrifice
Order rests at the heart of the creation account.
From the beginning of existence, God is. God is the source and end of all human life. Separated by the infinite and incomprehensible chasm between Creator and creation, our very existence is dependent on Him. We see this hierarchy throughout Genesis, particularly in the opening chapter.
Building on this foundation, any life worth living must be lived in view of this order — that is to say, it must be lived in submission to the will of God. We call this by many names, but at its core it describes Christian goodness. Correctly iterated, this goodness flows from God and leads to God.
Contrasting this is the fact that disorder both precedes and points to sin. In a sense, they are one and the same. In Genesis 3 we see that sin is introduced as the direct result of disorder. It happens on multiple levels: first, the devil distorts the truth; then, Adam and Eve believe the deceiver instead of God’s decree; finally, they succumb to their shame instead of returning to God. All of these moments are not only the result of disorder but examples of disorder themselves.
In the same way, all sin inverts or distorts our properly ordered desires. To remain in God is to remain in everlasting life; goodness guides us toward this end. But the temptation to unjustly elevate our desires remains, too. The devil’s lies are not only pervasive and insidious but persistent and convincing, so we must prepare ourselves for a life of battle. Satan sinisterly suggests that these disordered desires will satisfy our souls, but our experience insists otherwise.
The dichotomy between the goodness of creation and the presence of sin introduces a profoundly relational aspect to reality. In order to fully restore the goodness of creation, proper order must be reinstated. But how can such an abstract thing even be said to occur? It is only by remembering that we were created for communion with God that we can begin to understand the way back to Divine Order.
Bridging such a divide brings with it the need for reconciliation — and true reconciliation requires sacrifice. Sacrifice is a crucial reminder of the divine order. It is a symbol of our acknowledgment of God’s authority, as well as a recognition of our own role in distorting our relationship with God through an improper elevation of self … through our own cooperation with disorder. Only through a sacrifice of self can we avoid yet another “unfulfilled and unfulfillable promise” (Ratzinger, Prolegomena to the Subject of God).
How can the goodness of creation coexist with the need for sacrifice? Because both point us to the order found only in God. Both remind us of the transcendental truths we too often overlook: that we are created beings, that we need community, and that nothing but God will ultimately satisfy our desires. As St. Augustine reminds us, we are not only made by God but for God, and “our hearts are restless until they rest in [Him]” (Confessions).
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