As preacher Rob Bell pointed out in his Everything is Spiritual tour, “in verse one [of Genesis 1], God is some sort of creator, in verse two some sort of spirit, and in verse three some sort of word.”
God the Creator
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
Such a strange phrase is “In the beginning….” Everyone knows it as the first three words of the Bible. It takes it’s place up there with all the famous quotes from books and movies. But what does it really mean? In the beginning of what? The answer: in the beginning of all things, at the beginning of time and space and matter. It means that God is a being outside of time and space, who existed before both, who created both, who transcends both. He is the meaning of life in the universe.
Not too long ago, I sat in the waiting room of the cancer center waiting on my mom. There’s a big aquarium set in the wall on the far side of the room and I sat watching the fish chase each other as I waited. I was so close I could see their fins ripple as they swam through the water and as I watched, I noticed more and more how fragile and delicate they were. And how beautiful…. I became aware that the fish could see me as I could see them. And I understood that these fish had life, which was a far more beautiful artform than any other seen on earth. These fish, along with my cat and the birds and the trees and sister and my mother, reminded me of the holiness of life. That life is something we all have in common. It is this sacred life that moves between us all and unites us to one another.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Genesis 1 is verse 26, which says, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness….” With this first chapter of the book many claim is the story of humanity and the history of the universe, this Creator God not only pulls us near, but imparts upon us his own image. So the God who is creation, love, beauty, goodness, truth has given us these same characteristics; we are created to love and be loved, we are part of his beautiful work of art, we are called to do good to one another, we are respecters of the truth, we are vaults of creativity and imagination.
God the Presence
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
Amidst creation we find that all the earth is drenched in the very Spirit of its Creator. Rather than study books to better understand God, what if we studied sunsets? Or the wind? Once while sitting outside beside the library at college, I watched the wind blow through the trees in front of the oldest building on campus. And as I watched, I noticed how the subtle curves and rugged edges of the tree contrasted with the straight lines and drab colors of the Liberal Arts building. I wrote, “When man creates, he uses rigidity, symmetry, and compartmentalization. All beauty in his creations is judged by these criteria and if it meets them, the piece is called ‘perfect’. When God creates, He allows assymetry, flow, and an organic touch. All beauty in His creations is unique and yet equal, since He deems each one beautiful in its own right. How ironic that what man calls flaws, God calls personality and perfection. This is what nature reminds us.”
When we experience nature, we experience communion with the Divine. I’ve found it curious that we build these giant cathedrals with stained glass windows and velvet seats to better please God. Why do we build such illustrious temples when God has already built the greatest temple: the universe.
“Mother Teresa was once asked in an interview, ‘What do you say when you pray?’ She replied, ‘Nothing, I just listen.’ So then the reporter asked, ‘Well, then, what does God say to you?’ Her answer: ‘Nothing much, He just listens.’” (Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, pg. 11)
Some of the most peaceful moments I’ve encountered have been while I was outside with the wind blessing my skin with its cool caress. And I sat in silent conversation, a sort of meditation for me, embracing a one-ness with life, self, and Father. These are the best sort of prayers.
God the Word
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
The first chapter of the book of John introduces us to this idea that Christ is the Word of God (as opposed to the usual view that it’s the Bible). The author writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then in verse 14, he says, “The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us.”
Side-stepping a discussion of biblical fallibility (which I have planned to discuss at some point in the future), I lead us to the notion of the Word being the very voice of God. Now, if Christ is the Word and the Word is the voice, how great a calling are we given that we should become the body of Christ? Our lives are supposed to be lived as Christ lived his and so our lives become a testament to the Word which is the very voice of God. It is therefore, our responsibility as those who call ourselves the body and bride of Christ, to behave as though we are in fact the body and bride of Christ.
So what does it mean to behave as the body and bride of Christ, exactly? Although I will mainly address this question in my last entry regarding the Declaration of Faith, I will say this: once, not too long ago, I was approached by a Jehovah’s Witness who slipped me a pocket-sized pamphlet about how all things will one day be made right. I didn’t read the pamphlet; actually like most church tracts I find, I tore it in half and threw it in the trash. I didn’t do this because, like in the past, I disagreed with what the pamphlet said. I did it because I disagreed with what the pamphlet represented.
This pamphlet was what this woman called evangelizing– slipping a church tract into my hand, almost with a certain amout of sneak to it. I don’t mean to judge. It’s not my place. But what this woman was calling evangelizing was almost like trading the gospel as a dirty secret. What evangelizing should be, in the very words of the Word, Jesus Christ, is letting “your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We are supposed to be the church tracts, not hand them out. We should be the billboards for God, not working on snappier ways to design them.*
We are the body of Christ who is the Word which is the very voice of God, through whom the earth was made.
*I make an ammendment on this statement because I understand there are many people who actually do design work for churches and other Christ-oriented projects. What I mean to say is that while these pamphlets or billboards tell people of God, we should also be using our lives to tell people about God.
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