The book of
Genesis and the Gospel of Mark take us from creation to the experience of Jesus
as God and human.
The story of
creation in Genesis is beautiful to read and poetic in its descriptions; for
instance “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to
separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:1-19)
The authors
of the creation story in Genesis knew only a tiny section of the planet
earth. They knew nothing of a solar
system, a galaxy, or clusters of galaxies.
They saw the world around them as God’s loving provision and found
descriptive ways to convey this truth of God’s love as they saw it written in
earth and sky, in plants, birds and beasts, in rivers and springs, soil and
fruits of the earth. God made a home for
them.
In that
home, they were to love and serve God and reach fulfillment in him. Each sunrise and moon setting could remind
God’s People of God’s care for now and hope for hereafter.
We’re
learning more and more about the infinitely small worlds in the atom and
mind-boggling expanses of space and time of our universe. But do we really know more of the purpose of
it all? Do we know it as a Divine Gift?
Theologians
and philosophers and scientists have gained deeper knowledge of the meaning of
creation, but the simple people of God could know that the God who made them,
made all things for their benefit.
The most
learned probers of quarks and gluons may come to know more of those nanoseconds
of the Big Bang. But from the tiniest
particle to the furthest limits of space, all is there because God loves us.
Genesis may
be fanciful in its details, but totally exact in the truth that God created us
and prepared a world for our living. The
story reminds us that God is in all things.
We need to be good stewards of this earth and all living plants and
animals. Our care for each other is
mirrored in that message. When we do
what we can to make the world a better place, we’re echoing God’s stewardship
and it is good. Let’s remember this
story of creation when we’re about to be careless about the earth or people. Let’s find God in all things.
The Gospel
shows us God on earth in Jesus. What
faith the people had to bring their sick and hope that they could just touch
the tassel on Jesus’ cloak and be made well (Mark 6:53-56). What we have to remember is that we, too, are
loved by Jesus, collectively and as individuals. When we get discouraged or feel the world is
overwhelming, our faith may waver. That’s
the time when we need to remember that tassel on Jesus’ cloak. we can remember that God is with us and cares
for us. We can ask for grace for
patience and peace. And we can find
both, at least for a time, if we reach for that tassel and open our heart to
God’s grace. We can pray, along with the
psalm, “May the Lord be glad in his works” and know that those works include us. (Psalm 104:1-35)
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