It is a thoughtful question, because we naturally look at the world and see that things have beginnings. A house has a builder, a painting has an artist, and every one of us has parents. So it can seem reasonable to ask whether God must also have come from somewhere. Behind this question is often a deeper desire to understand whether God is truly different from everything else we know.
The Christian faith teaches us that God was not created, because God has no beginning. Everything in our world exists within time: there was a moment when it began, and there will be a moment when it changes or passes away. But God is not part of creation in the same way that we are. He is the One who created time, space, matter, and life itself. Before there were stars, oceans, mountains, or human hearts, God already was. In the Book of Exodus, when Moses asks God His name, God answers, “I AM WHO I AM.” It is a beautiful mystery: God simply is. He does not depend on anyone else to exist.
Sometimes it helps to think of the difference between a candle and the sun. A candle needs someone to light it, and it can burn out. But the sun is the source of light for the world around it. In an even greater way, God is not a creature who receives life from another source. He is the source of all life. The Church teaches us that God is eternal, meaning that He is not limited by yesterday, today, or tomorrow. He sees all of time at once, while still being close to us in every moment of our lives.
Of course, this can stretch our minds, because we are used to thinking only in terms of beginnings and endings. But not every mystery is a contradiction. Some mysteries are simply greater than what our minds can fully hold. We may not understand everything about God, yet we can still know Him truly. We know Him through the beauty of creation, through the love that awakens in our hearts, through the voice of conscience, and above all through Jesus Christ. In Jesus, the eternal God comes near to us—not as a distant force, but as a loving Father who wants us to know Him.
What this means for us is that we do not need to be afraid when we cannot answer every question perfectly. Faith is not pretending that God is easy to understand. Faith is trusting that the One who made us is greater than our understanding, yet close enough to hear our prayers. When life feels uncertain, it can bring peace to remember that God has no beginning and no end. The One who holds the universe also holds your life gently in His hands.
A Closing Reflection
May we learn to stand in wonder before the eternal love of God, who was before all things and remains with us through every moment. When our minds cannot go further, may our hearts rest in the One who simply says, “I AM.”
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way.