Origins
Genesis is the beginning of the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament), and its name reinforces the point. But the “beginning” isn’t merely a reference to the starting point of time or creation or the Jewish people; it describes a book filled with origin stories. It’s an anthology of beginnings— how the Earth came to be, but also why things are the way they are now (or at least for the people when the book was written). Genesis is an attempt to place God at the center of all of life’s origins, either directly, or alternatively, by humanity’s attempts to circumvent or defy God’s purposes.
Here are a few examples to illuminate it further. Why are people generally shy or embarrassed to be naked in front of someone else, when other animals are not? Enter the story of humanity’s fall from grace in Genesis 3. Why does childbirth hurt so much? The same story offers a theory. Why do we compete with our siblings? Consider the many sibling rivalries that show how far back they go: Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his 11 brothers. Where do rainbows come from? Check in on the story of Noah and the Great Flood. How did civilization and technology arise? See Cain’s descendants. How far back does God’s grace stretch? To the very beginning of everything.
Genesis isn’t intended to be a history or science textbook; it’s a collection of theological stories centering human experience in the love or absence of God (sin). The question for us is where can we locate ourselves in the story of God’s love?
And for this week in particular, when was the first time you remember God’s grace in your life? What’s the origin story there? And when is the most recent experience when you noticed God’s love and presence in your life? How can you take notice of it more often?
Prayer: God, you are the origin of our being. Help us to find ourselves in the stories of the faith. And help us to find you in the stories of our day-to-day lives. For all that has been, for all that will be, for what is before us right now, we give thanks and seek your grace. Amen.
