God Created

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Spring is my favorite season. Every time I walk outside, I am greeted by beauty, color, life bursting from every corner of the universe. Every where my eyes land is something majestic and exquisite. Even in the darkness, the stars provide an array of light above me. In the day time, the sunlight bursts and sometimes glitters through emerald-colored leaves. Ten thousand shades of purples and reds and pinks on lilacs, tulips and flower petals. The blue-sky spreads overhead like a giant comforter sprayed with wispy white brushstrokes. There are tiny blades of grass making a soft carpet beneath my feet, they should stab me based on their shape, but they are too soft and gracious for that. Its all so wonderful, springtime is life and hope. It beckons us outward, lures and pulls us to walk, hike, ride our bikes bask in its warmth, plant gardens and wade in rivers. The earth, in whatever form we humans have ever known it has always been magnificent. Even if some disagree, it doesn’t change the beauty that erupts around us in the spring. Throughout recorded history has mankind ever thought differently about the wonders of the earth? Why do we hasten to the ocean, space, the deep caves and caverns, the mountainous regions, the desert, and gardens, the vast expanse of the solar system? Man has freely and eagerly explored, traveled, researched, written, sang and painted the world around him since the dawn of his existence. It is splendid.

And to imagine at one point in time there was nothing but darkness. The earth was empty, barren and void of life. Deep water but no color, movement and wind but no seeds to blow around; no heaven, no hell, no earth, no mankind. Even an evolutionist, I think, can agree that at one point there was nothing and now there is everything. Why does the world create in us a sense of awe and wonder? Why does it woo us or at least so many of us into a romance of natural affections and love affairs? Why does the light excite us and the darkness overwhelm our tired souls? Why are we drawn to oceans and waves and the seaside? Why are we curious about God -simultaneously reject and want him. Why do we make up tales of heaven and hell and walk outside and close our eyes and breathe in life?

Because in the beginning God created…because the universe and all it contains is here. We are here.

So, some believe, some do not. Of course, I can totally accept that reality. I am neither threatened nor offended by it, even though I do believe. I neither judge nor criticize those who do not. Mostly because I have no idea why you don’t believe. Perhaps you were abused by people who believed. Perhaps you never attended church or temple a day in your life, or you were raised by atheists or your whole family was killed in a car accident and you blame God. There are thousands of reasons people do not believe in the Bible or God and hate church, for any one of them, I don’t blame you. Church and religion is run by men and it can cause pain like anything else So many of us even in the church shy away from religion, it haunts us at times. We can’t do it or we can’t do it right or we are raw and it is abrasive or we just can’t swallow large pills.

Eating tomatoes give some people really bad heartburn, although for most tomatoes are really good for you. How do we navigate tomatoes and church and God? If tomatoes give you heartburn and church make you cringe, I don’t blame you. I invite you. I understand your questions and hesitations. It’s hard trying to weed through all the antics of religion to find God. Who is this God who seems to at times hide behind crosses and under church pews?

I like to start here in the beginning the place where we always forget to start. And I like to see God as the One who made all the beauty around me. And just sit there for a while. It doesn’t really benefit him that I believe. It doesn’t make him more God or more powerful or happier. But I have this intrinsic satisfaction that someone is in control here and thank God its not me, or the politicians or Vladimir Putin. And the one who is in control did a phenomenal job he really has an eye for beautiful things for making things work out. The sun has done its job, the seasons, the earth today is still working. Day turns into night right on time even after thousands and thousands of years or however long the earth has been here for.

I don’t think many of us know the bible, we know the flawed church, we know the somewhat precociousness of Christianity. We just don’t know God. We reject the church and we think it’s because we don’t like God and couldn’t believe in him. But we are really rejecting his church because they can be jerks sometimes, but they can also be friends. and the truth is we find jerks everywhere, in the work place; but we don’t quit working, we find them at family gatherings, but we still at least most of us show up at thanksgiving every year; they are at the grocery store bagging our groceries, but we still go back week after week. we find them at church but we also find truth there.

Remember, In the beginning God…not the church, not the Christians, not the uncle who smacked you across the face, or the mother who walked out when you were twelve. Maybe you haven’t had a bad experience maybe you had a wonderful life experience and see no need for God. maybe you just don’t care either way, so fine move on. That’s okay too. But if you have ever wondered, read genesis 1:1

For those who believe in a creator what comfort does it bring you to know that all of the world exists because in the beginning God. It was created and chosen to exist and someone or something so infinite , powerful and intelligent did it and was able to do it and desired to do it, creatively and well?  What fear does it instill in you? For those who do not believe in a creator- what is the driving force of your disbelief? What comfort, anger or fear may arise in you? And isn’t it possible that something that gives you a strong emotional reaction either way ought to be explored? Why does it bother or else excite you?

I just feel like we need the Bible, we need more of God in our lives. We go outside after all and enjoy the world, shouldn’t we give someone credit for it? There is so much division and faulty organization and confused people who are ready to drive off a bridge because of the chaos. We just need the bible to know what it says about us, about God and about the world around us we need someone to thank and maybe someone to help us see the world around us.