The two creation stories in the Bible paint very different, yet beautiful pictures of how God’s faithful people centuries ago imagined God bringing the natural world into being.
The second creation story, Genesis 2:4b-25, paints a beautiful portrait of God as a loving potter and master gardener. God molds and sculpts the first human being from dirt. God then breathes God’s own living breath into the human.
This act and God’s work to plant, mold and shape all other living creatures, powerfully conveys the love and tenderness, the enormous intention, and the intense hope for the future God exhibited in those first acts of creation.
God created out of love, seeking to nurture life and infuse goodness into all that is. And God created with purpose, striving for balance and wholeness in all of creation.
God’s act of molding the first human from the dirt also reminds us of humanity’s deep connection with the earth and all living things. Humans come from the same substance as all of God’s creation. We are all stardust, and to stardust we all shall return.
Furthermore, God settled the first human in God’s beautiful garden of creation, called Eden, for a very specific reason—”to farm it and to take care of it.” No small calling, as God well knew.
So, God immediately moved to create a suitable partner for the first human. Humanity expanded, human partnership began, and humans in relationship, in community, were entrusted with the sacred calling and awesome responsibility of farming and caring for creation.
This remains humanity’s sacred calling today. Tragically, as daily headlines convey, we have not lived up to that calling.
“A Brief Statement of Faith” from my Christian tradition, written in 1991, states the truth clearly – “Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.”
We now have a choice to make. We can live in despair, pretending there is nothing which can be done. Or we can live in hope, in the hope in which we were created, claiming our God-given life and power, and stepping forward anew to be people who embrace our calling from God to partner with our fellow human beings to be farmers and care-givers of creation.
I’m grateful for all the people in our community choosing hope.
Among them is a great group of people who have planned a community-wide Earth and Arbor Day celebration for Saturday, April 29, 9 a.m. to noon, on the grounds of First Presbyterian Church, 1901 Vine St., Hudson. I’m so deeply encouraged by their commitment to care for the Earth and all creatures.
Whether you can join the celebration on April 29 or not, I hope each of you, in your own way, will
choose hope and action, so that together we can honor our connection to the Earth and all creatures, and live into our sacred calling to farm and care for creation.
(4) comments
GOD created man (both of two sexes) in his image, and that image is to be creators. We continue to do his work with the things we need to do this work using what he has given us. That includes fossil fuels. In four hundred years when those fuels have run their course, humans will have had the time to figure out better energy sources, or we will cease to exist, which is what the woke want. Either we follow GOD’s plan and create using what he has given us, or we ignore GOD and pretend to be our own gods, and we fail.
Yes, God created male and female, very intentionally. Our biology matters and has purpose for God.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27
There are 6500 deities worshipped around the world currently. Many do not have a binary view. It is the height of hubris to think you are the sole voice in the universe.
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall
This is hysterical! You throw a bible verse in my face to prove God isn't the only God?!?! I'm not being hubris or proud, you are! I don't believe in those 6500 deities, but you go right ahead. I'll obey God and his very first commandment, you shall have no other gods before Me. and I believe in ONE truth, God's truth, but good luck with your 6500 deities!
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