Monday 27 May 2024
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (v. 27)
Background
This passage from Genesis could provide us with study material not just for one day or one week but for an entire year. So we shall necessarily have to be selective.
Human beings are curious creatures: we want to know where we come from in terms of our family genealogy and ultimately we want to understand the meaning and purpose of human life.
Genesis begins with a gripping opening line, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis is not talking about the absolute beginning – whatever that might be. If God is God there was no beginning – God exists outside time as we know it. Genesis is talking about the beginning of the world and puts God well and truly centre stage. Only God creates.
Unless someone is a creationist people know that our earth (not to speak of the universe) is millions of years old and evolved different life forms over millennia. This prompts some to dismiss Genesis out of hand or to categorise it as just another of the many creation myths.
But let us try to approach this issue differently. Let's ask the question, if we were God how would we try to explain the origin of the world in an accessible manner? It would be very difficult so what we have in Genesis is God inspiring the writer to paint a picture which is a kind of parable. God introduced order out of chaos. Human beings were created to act on God’s behalf. We and all our ancestors and all our successors are called to be co-creators with God in the on-going task. Human beings have been given a special, very responsible role.
To Ponder:
- Do you find the beginning of the Book of Genesis a satisfactory way to help us understand our place in the world?
- Genesis uses the ‘master’ or ‘dominate’ to describe how human beings are to relate to the rest of the created order. This has led to criticism of Christianity for its seeming encouragement of human exploitation of nature. What word or concept do you think would be preferable to describe a more caring relationship between humans and the natural environment?
Prayer
Heavenly God, you have set us in a beautiful and bountiful world. We have not always cared for it as we should have done and have sought to set ourselves above the rest of the created order. Give us, we pray, a sense of humility and an understanding of the connectedness of all that you have created. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Jennifer Potter
Jennifer is a supernumerary minister living in the Croydon Circuit. She works as a part-time chaplain at the local MHA (Methodist Home for the Aged). She was previously a minister at Wesley’s Chapel in London.