May 8

May 8 Beginnings

Archive, Theology, Deconstruction, Biblical Studies, Genesis

When I was 16 my older brother began a Religion, Philosophy and Ethics degree at King’s College London. (Sounds fancy eh!?) I clearly remember that on one of his first visits home we got into a discussion about what he’d been learning about the Genesis 1 account of creation. To my absolute horror he suggested that Genesis 1 was a Hebrew poem, and not a factual account of the beginnings of this world. At the time, I swore blind that such an opinion was some outlandish heresy designed by his evil non Christian uni to undermine the sacred truth of the Christian Bible. And knowing me I probably told him that was what I thought too. But that was then...

I’ve been having many conversations with young people recently about my thoughts on the first few chapters of Genesis and what they tell us about our beginnings. As always, the comments and questions the youth have raised on the subject have been exceptionally insightful and thought provoking and I believe are well worth sharing. So here is a brief outline of what I believe, the gaps in my thinking, and what challenges the youth have given me...

“In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” Genesis 1: 1

I whole heartedly believe this. Whatever else follows let me say it as clear as I can now: As far as I’m concerned, God absolutely and undeniably created the universe in which we ourselves live. This is a fact that I expect - I hope - all Christians agree on. The arguments begin when people try to figure out how and when God created.

There are those that believe that God made the world in 6 24-hour days, exactly as Genesis 1 states. There are those that believe that God created the world in 6 stages over millions of years. There are those that believe God initiated a process - such as the big bang and evolution - and that was how the universe began. There are also others that believe that Genesis 1 isn’t trying to tell us when and how the universe was created but wants us to understand something of who God is.

At 16, I was in group 1: the world was created in 6 24-hour days, exactly as Genesis 1 states. Looking back, I’m fairly sure the reason I believed this was because I knew that the Bible was true, and the Bible said it was 6 days... So that must mean 6 actual days... Right!? But my belief wasn’t based on evidence, or good biblical study, or anything really... In fact it more than likely was based on the fact that nobody I knew, certainly nobody Christian that I trusted, had ever suggested anything other than a literal 6 days. So I just accepted that as truth. Then my brother came long...

And the thing is its not just my brother or King’s College London who think that Genesis 1 isn’t a literal account of the beginning of the universe... There are many very well respected Christian thinkers who challenge this idea too. Now, I’m not an expert on the subject, but here is what I believe based on what I’ve read and heard...

Genesis 1 is written like a Hebrew poem: The first 3 days God separated light from darkness, waters above from below, vegetated land from sea. On the second 3 days he populated the different spaces, first with lights, then with birds and fish, then mammals and humans.

Genesis is not a scientific book: Those that wrote it were not trying to be scientific. It wasn’t written several thousand years before Darwin to agree with or argue with his theories of evolution. So we cannot use it that way.

It is, however a theological book and therefore what it is trying to teach us is something about God. This is where we return to my earlier statement. The writer isn’t interested in telling us when or how the universe began, but he does want us to know that it was God who created it.

Interestingly, Genesis 1 is similar to other stories from Ancient civilizations such as the Mesopotamian’s and particularly the Egyptians about how the world began. So for the Israelites, fresh out of Egypt and trying to figure out their own identity, it would make sense that they would build their own Genesis story around their growing understanding of their God:

YHWH is one God and the only powerful creator - rather than the many squabbling god’s of Egypt).
YHWH is in absolute control of the waters (as shown in the parting of the red sea) - in Egyptian mythology the world was created out of watery chaos called Nu.
YHWH insists on Sabbath rest - the Egyptians made the Israelites work 7 days a week.

There are more similarities but you start to get the idea... The story of the worlds beginnings in Genesis 1 has a lot less to do with how and when God created the world, and a lot more to do with who God is and that we were created by Him.

So that’s some of what I think and why I think it. But this raises very honest questions in my mind that I am still looking for the answers to. If Genesis 1 is not literal but a story, what about the other early chapters in Genesis? Where does poem and parable end and history begin? And what are the implications of these stories being fact or fiction?

I will admit that part of my desire to see aspects of Genesis 1-11 as very useful parables rather than literal history is built on the fact that some of it just reads more like a story to me - its just so unbelievable. And yet, rightly so, the youth are challenging me not only to study with my head but to be a man of faith. They’re reminding me that some of what God does in bits of the Bible I think are literal history is fairly unbelievable too! One also made the excellent observation that if you think of the first few chapters in Genesis as a thousand years condensed into a few stand out stories, it makes sense that those few stand out stories are quite extreme.

And so, I continue to look for answers and continue to try and build my faith. But I do so out of the same confidence that the message of Genesis 1 gave the Israelites as they began their nationhood: That God is my creator. God is in control. and He very much loves me as a precious person intentionally created by Him to be in relationship with Him.

And I think that’s a pretty great beginning point... don't you?