In the first creation story of chapter 1, we see Israel’s testimony that God is the Transcendent One, outside of creation, speaking and willing everything into existence, while in the second creation story in chapter 2, God is the Immanent One, intimately bound to creation.
God is both/and, unsearchable and yet, at the same time, known. Unreachable and also near like a friend in a garden.
In this conception of a purposely-crafted creation, the biblical authors claim that we humans are God’s creatures, God’s desire, God’s beloved—and ultimately God’s responsibility.
These stories remember the one who is Source, Sustainer, and Goal; they remind who we are and why we exist. They remind us whose we are—creatures of the creation intimately bound to the Creator. The stories remind us who we are and they remind us whose we are.
The stories teach us that God is God and we are not.
This re-writing, re-telling, re-imagining became Israel’s Scripture, and these creation stories continue to be foundational stories for Jews and Christians alike because they affirm that our very existence is gift and grace . . .
Read more at Coyle, Charlotte Vaughan. Living in The Story: A Year to Read the Bible and Ponder God’s Story of Love and Grace (pp. 51-52). Resource Publications. Kindle Edition.
Readings for Living in The Story Week 2
(Follow the links to read in BibleGateway)
Living in the Story Week 2 readings provided new perspective on the Creation for me. I had not previously thought about passages in the Bible beyond Genesis as being ‘creation’ stories. In the context of “creation” the first several verses of John took on new light, as did the notes in my Harper Study Bible (RSV), a few excerpts –
“John speaks of Christ as the eternal, pre-existent One who became flesh”
Note (4), “through the Word, God brought into being the entire created universe, both the visible and invisible”
Note (5), the Word is the source of the physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual life of man”
“In essense this is the same teaching as that of Paul, who said that in Christ the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9)
Not only is the John 1:1-14 a ‘creation’ story, but a declaration of ‘The Good News’ – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14a).
Good News indeed! Thanks for your thoughts, Michael!