Credo 4 – … the Almighty …
When we say God is ‘the Almighty’, do we mean that He possesses the greatest power amongst a field of rivals? Is the clause inserted in the creed in order to assert that God will suffer no competition?
The power that is located in God is not simply greater than all the powers in the material universe. Rather, through His act of creation, all creatures live, move and have their being through the power of God. When God creates, his activity is not analogous to a builder who constructs a wall that, once built, can sustain without the builder’s interference. God’s act of creation is constantly sustaining the life of the universe. God creates me now as directly as he did at my conception. If God ever stopped creating, all things, no matter how long they had had being, would cease to exist. Julian of Norwich perceived this when she envisioned God holding the world in being, as Julian herself could hold a hazelnut in the palm of her hand.
The title of ‘Almighty’ for God, acknowledges God’s creative power. The title is not ‘Most mighty’, as if something other than God could bring about life and being. To name God ‘Almighty’ is to assent to the belief that all strength and potency in the universe has its origin in God’s own power and creative will. To express firm belief in this clause is to marvel again at the generosity of God in giving creatures His own strength, the better to serve Him.
