God and music

Suppose you think that God is the most perfect, or the greatest possible being. Then you might wonder: Isn’t timeless existence a more perfect mode of existence than being in time? Isn’t it greater for a being to be outside of time? If so, then it follows from God’s being the most perfect being that God is timeless. But why should you think timelessness a “more perfect” mode of existence than temporal existence? Consider, for instance, the enjoyment of music, which seems to be open only to temporal beings. Natalja Deng, God and Time (Cambridge 2019), 34. 

That's an appealing counter to the perfect being argument for divine timelessness. However, there's something ultimately unsatisfying about temporal experience–however enjoyable–precisely because it doesn't last. That gives rise to the insatiable desire to repeat a pleasant experience, or regret if a pleasant experience is unrepeatable. You never have enough. There's always an element of discontent. The pleasure peaks, then it's gone. 

So there are tradeoffs to temporal experience. It's good. A creaturely good. But it has distinct limitations. It's the only way creatures can experience anything at all. While it's good for creatures, would it be good for God? Would it be equal good for God? 

Put another way, there are different kinds of goods. What is good for God is distinct from what is good for creatures. And it's good to have a variety of goods. A world in which different kinds of goods are represented.