Christ is the basis of reality itself, and thus disentangling oneself from Him necessarily means moving further and further toward madness and pandemonium. As has been noted before, it truly is Christ or chaos and the proof is in the cultural rodeo-circus unfolding all around us. That being the case, the Church’s task remains the same, to publicly declare to a rebellious world the riches and beauty and glory of the Saviour.

…in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17)

If we were to attempt to describe the world God has made in a single phrase, we might choose something along the lines of “ordered hierarchy.”

This description, by virtue of its brevity, is of course incomplete, like trying to sing four-part harmony with a single set of vocal chords. Nevertheless, it retains at least some usefulness in that it grapples with both the breadth and depth of the created order. On the one hand, it leaves room for all the billions of individual creatures that inhabit the cosmos; on the other, it gives reference to the various categories and classes that hold them all together.

Thus, describing creation as an ordered hierarchy captures both the genus and the species, the universal and the particular, the one and the many. And it does so, furthermore, while conveying the ever-important truth that there is a discernible shape and structure to the whole ensemble. Creation, in other words, is more like a symphony than a 90’s grunge band — no matter what the materialists say to the contrary.

One question this definition poses, however, is, “What is creation ordered to?” Or better, “Who is creation ordered to?” If the universe is not in fact an arbitrary cacophony of sights, sounds, and sensations, then what is the overarching purpose or theme that binds it all together? Who sits atop the hierarchy?

In answer, the New Testament rings forth with a single, resounding conclusion: all things — whether things in heaven or things on earth — exist through Christ and for Christ (Col. 1:16). Indeed, in Him “all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).

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