But it can also be a disturbing place. Those same forces of nature which create such exquisite beauty can at times unleash terrifying destruction and devastation. Human beings, so capable of acts of profound gentleness and love, can also inflict the most sickening cruelty and indifference on one another. The world is indeed a perplexing place.
Christianity does not offer an escape from this reality, but rather offers some explanation for this profound contrast. We believe that the world is a fundamentally good place, made by God and created in perfection. But it is a spoiled creation, marred by acts of human disobedience and yearning to be put right. It is this paradox which a great deal of Christian teaching seeks to address.