Humanity

From The Sign of the Cross, by Andreas Andreopolous:

"The repercussions of the fall of our forebears were so grim not because humans introduced sin to the world but because of the special position God gave humanity. According to the tradition of the church, the human being stands in the middle of all creation, participating in the spiritual as well as in the material world. The place of humanity is therefore above that of angels, who are normally limited to the invisible world. The cosmic dimensions of humanity exceed anything we might imagine. In perfected creation, humans would stand in the center, transmitting the will and the love of God to every corner of the world."