II. Love in the midst of reasoning; and reasoning in the midst of love

The book points out that the Creed which we usually recite was gradually formed over a period of 300 years, from the time of the Apostles to the 4th century when the church was allowed to publicly proclaim the faith. The first line of the Creed says: "I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and of all things, visible and invisible." Although just expressing an article of our faith, nevertheless this line of the creed is quite rich in meaning. The book points out that the first words are "I believe in," but that in the Chinese rendition there is no" in." If the Chinese word for "in" were added to the proclamation of our belief in God, it would more vividly show our love for and our reliance upon God, and the experience of searching for an interaction between God and human beings. Applied to "God the Father," it describes the relationship between God and human beings. If humans do not arrive at the Father, then they have no happiness and will always have the feeling of being homeless. This is a real example of love in the midst of reasoning.

While many people speak of God's merciful providence and God's will, they think of God as sitting on His heavenly throne casting His eyes over each chapter of history, which He has al-ready arranged, as it unfolds before Him. The book points out that when God mercifully cares for us and guides us in the way of goodness. He at the same time gives us free will and permits us to resist His grace. God does not have evil as an object, nor is evil a means for arriving at His object. However God has the wisdom and the power to produce good out of evil. In the end moral evil must serve the most lofty goal of the universe - the glory of God. God's mercy is manifest in the forgiveness of sins. The justice of God is shown in the alienation of the sinner from God and in the consequences the sinner suffers from this alienation. This is an example of reasoning in the midst of love.