As if I needed yet another blog, I thought it might be helpful for me, and potentially helpful for others, to have a sort of spiritual blog. This blog will most likely be less polished than my other blogs, but will serve as a repository for my reactions to developments in my spiritual path. Sort of a place to dump my notes, but fleshing out a few thoughts in the process.
I intend to post regularly about three topics at least for the time being. The first being my personal daily scripture reading which is currently in the book of Genesis. I have taken an idea from Herman Melville to start in Genesis, read through to Revelation, and then start back over at the beginning of Genesis, and essentially practice this for the rest of my life. Melville also did this with Shakespeare. I admire Melville tremendously.
And I just happen to have just recently started the book of Genesis, so this is a felicitous moment to embark on this project. I will post a few thoughts that I jotted down in my reading.
The other two regulars are an intensive, inductive study I am currently doing in conjunction with my wife through the book of Philippians. I feel I can post thoughts on that with some regularity. Also, reactions from a class that I am facilitating. I call the class Heavenly Citizenship Class. In it, we explore events and big ideas through the lens of our Christian walk.
So, then, Genesis. I should probably state from the beginning that I am decidedly what is known as an Old Earth Creationist. The Universe seems likely to be as old as it appears to be and contemporary scientific understanding of the processes by which life came to be seems to me beyond dispute. I also believe that The Fall in Genesis must needs have been an actual space/time event. That's because I feel that the point of the first moments in the book of Genesis is not a detailed science text, but rather to establish God as the creator. In other words, everyone disagrees with me. I should also state that I will not debate this topic. On either side of the issue, I find it to be fruitless and tangential to debate these issues. If you don't believe in the contemporary scientific understanding of the processes that brought the diversity of life on this planet to its current state, it doesn't really matter because if it's true, it's true whether or not you believe it. If you don't believe in the Fall, there is not much I can say about that save to speak what I believe to be true. I can't make anyone believe anything.
And I'm a little annoyed that I even feel the need to talk at this length about this right here at the beginning, but the climate on this issue has been made so toxic by both sides. Personally, I have no problem reconciling the two positions in my own head. You simply have no problem with the two concepts coexisting and you are then free to go upon your merry way.
It occurred to me, in this reading of Genesis, that after the creation, the first issue that the inspired word of God feels the need to address is why the world sucks so much. This is also true, by the way, with a chronologically arranged Bible as Job would be the first book in that case.
In Genesis 1:11, God makes the Earth fruitful. Without Him it would be naturally barren.
God's liberality towards man in pre-Fall Genesis highlights the ingratitude of The Fall, an ingratitude that translates into human nature through Original Sin.
In Genesis 2:15, it illustrates that we were not created for idleness. This could be helpful to bear in mind on those mornings when we find it hard to get out of bed and go to work.
In Genesis 2:22, the creation of woman brought the fullness of creation. I have yet to hear a sermon preached on that topic.
I have felt for some time now, and, in fact, this was the first point of theology that ever made sense to me, that the doctrine of Original Sin is an observable phenomenon, an apt explanation for the state of the world in which we find ourselves. This explains most of why I do what I do and explains why the world is the way that it is.
Another reflection of humankind, Cain is the one who survived. I know I am painting a rather grim portrait of humankind, but so does the evening news. Of course, there is also Seth, but the rest of the story (e.g. the rest of scripture and all of human history) doesn't exactly improve our impression of humankind, now does it?
By the way, Lamech springs to mind whenever I hear someone cite polygamy in the Old Testament. It is fairly clear from the story of Lamech that this is the first instance of corruption of the institution of marriage. Lamech's two wives was not a good or acceptable thing.
We naturally skip the lists of names and now we are up to Noah. I will look at that next time. Aside from the Gospels, I generally choose to skip the lists of generations when reading through scripture. I can't tell you how many times I've set out to read the Bible from cover to cover only to stall in Numbers. The lists of generations are there for a reason. That reason is not the devotional reading of Paul Mathers in 2012.
More soon.
