Did you notice in the first creation story that before God started to create the heavens and the earth, there was already water? We claim that God created light first, but God's face/rushing spirit hovered over the waters? Did you notice that when humans were created, God said, "Let us make humans in our image"? They didn't say sun and moon, but greater light and lesser light because many people worshipped the sun and moon back then. Did you know that this first creation story in Genesis, (there are at least 3 different ones), was probably the last thing written/created of what we now know as the Pentateuch?
The poem/story of Genesis was written during the time of the Babylonian exile which was during the 6th century BCE. This was about 400 years after Kings David and Solomon and about 100 years after first Isaiah. The prophet Jeremiah was on the scene while the Babylonian empire was conquering all peoples and nations around it. The majority of the country of Judah and the population of Jerusalem was taken out of their homeland and brought up to Babylon and scattered so they couldn't organize and rebel. After a generation, the children growing up started to speak the local languages and were learning about Babylonian gods. Apsu was the king of the gods and the god of ground water and his queen was Tiamat who was god of the sea and chaos. And there were a whole host of gods and goddesses and they fought just like any family with too much power.
So, the Israelites were trying to hang onto their religion, view of the world, and their children's future to return to their homeland, their homes, and their temple. We all know that reciting rules, like the 10 commandments, isn't always the best way to inspire anyone and develop their relationship. So, someone, somehow, created this story, this poem to remind them who and whose they are. In the Babylonian culture and most surrounding cultures, the world and people were created by various gods, often the result of violence and conflict. But here, it said that THE God, their God, created the heavens and the earth out of a desire for goodness and blessings. Many religions around there, believe that their gods made them and other gods made the other nations and people. This epic story/poem said that one God created everyone, in God's own image, even those who are oppressing and enslaving them were made by the one and same God. This amazing story/poem told them that humans have dominion over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the animals of the land. Other religions surrounding them told that to have a good planting, you have to pray to this god, for rain to that god, for health to another god, or harvest another god. We, especially in Western civilization, have badly interpreted the dominion to mean that we can do whatever the heck we want. But, however, nonetheless, to say that the world is in our hands, rather than gods and spirits hands, discouraged the people of Israel and their children from turning to different gods.
And then, and then the piece of resistance, God rested on the seventh day. Rather than recite the 4th command about how they should honor the Sabbath and do no work, they have the story and example that even the God, who created everything and everyone, took a break once in a while and we, as humans, can do the same. So while the rest of the neighborhood, community, city, or country is busy running around trying to get ahead and appease their gods and rulers, the Jewish people took time to sit down and share a meal and stories and hopes and dreams and instilling in themselves and their children that they were meant for more than just being enslaved and conquered.
Now, we are not enslaved people and we are not conquered people, but we are in a very conflicted time in history with the politics of our country, with the culture wars that are being thrust upon us, and the very real and present threat of the global climate crisis that is only going to get worse. Are we going to rely on some politician to save us, are we going to rely on some tech that is being invented, or are we going to sit back and believe that God is going to save us while we do nothing? God has given us agency and power to shape, to bless, or destroy this planet. To heal or hurt each other. To choose life or choose death. In this time, we can look back at this creation story and reflect that everyone, even those yahoos on the internet, politicians, or however we don't like or agree with are made in the image of God, just like us. We can rely that although much is in our hands, the world and all that is in it belongs to God, we are just the stewards of the beautiful and amazing planet. Can we remember and tell the stories of God's love and grace? And yes, stop once in a while and get out of the rat race, as someone once said, if you win the rat race, you are still a rat.
Our calling is not to defeat them, whoever our them is. Our calling is to love, God, neighbor, ourselves, and the world, finding that balance, that shalom, healing ourselves, others, and the world, discovering the kindom of heaven in this world, in this time. Amen.
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