“The Creation Story”
A
Sermon Preached by the
Rev.
Jean Niven Lenk
Sunday,
September 9, 2012
First
Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ
Text:
Genesis 1-2:4a
On December 24, 1968, in what was
the most watched television broadcast up until that time, the crew of Apollo 8
read in turn from the Book of Genesis while they orbited the moon. As they watched the planet earth off in the
distance -- a beautiful globe of blue, white, brown, and green -- Bill Anders,
Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman recited the familiar verses of the Creation Story
that begin, “In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth.”
I remember watching it all unfold on TV and –
seeing those pictures of earth from space and hearing those timeless words from
sacred Scripture – I felt – as perhaps you did – that the heavens were far
beyond our human comprehension, and that we humans and all that we could see
were the handiwork of a loving and divine Creator. And for just a moment on that Christmas Eve,
the veil separating heaven and earth was lifted, and we were able to glimpse
the glory of God.
More
recently, on this past fourth of July, scientists around the world were
celebrating the discovery of something called the Higgs Boson – the so-called
“God particle” -- which the experts say explains why
particles have mass -- and in turn why we exist. I can’t even begin to understand what this
Higgs Boson is all about, but I do know that some physicists have proclaimed
that the Higgs Boson “arguably more relevant than God” and that its discovery "posits a
new story of our creation" independent of religious belief, making God
obsolete.[i]
Let me tell you
-- statements like that get my attention. And such statements, and theories about the
origins of life, and science in general, cause people of deep faith, or of questioning,
wavering faith, or even of no faith, to ask – what are we to make of the
Creation story in Genesis 1?
But perhaps I’m
getting ahead of myself. Maybe we need
to start not with space exploration or scientific discoveries, but instead,
with this humble tomato.[ii]
Isn’t this beautiful? And in a few hours I’m going to confirm my
suspicions that it’s not just beautiful but also delicious. But here’s my question -- who made it? Did God make this tomato?
Now, if your instinct was to say
yes -- because after all, you are sitting here in church -- isn't it true that
the tomato came from a tiny seed planted in the ground? That with sufficient warmth and moisture the
seed germinated, and with sufficient light and nutrients the tomato plant grew
as the chlorophyll in the plant converted carbon dioxide into energy? That the plant produced flowers and the
flowers produced fruit? And here is one
of those fruit – this beautiful, and I am sure delicious, tomato.
Or how about this. I am looking at all of you, and you know what
– you are beautiful, each one of you!
But here’s my question -- who made you? Did you say God – because after all, we are in
church -- ? But isn't true that you grew
in your mother’s womb after the biological event of conception?
And isn't true in the larger
sense that you, and me, and our species, human beings, are the result of a long
evolutionary process, a process of development and adaptation and refinement
that has taken place over tens of thousands of years?
And who made the earth? This solar system? This galaxy? This universe? God did? But isn't it true that most researchers
believe the universe began in a big bang, when elemental matter was scattered
throughout the universe, slowly, ever-so-slowly, collecting and rotating and
congealing and solidifying? Isn't it
true that life comes from carbon and carbon comes from helium, one of the abundant
materials in that elemental matter? Isn't
it true that this billions-of-years process of expansion of the universe, the
birth and death of stars and galaxies, still continues?
So which is true? Who is right? Well ... what was the question? I asked, “Who made it: Who made the tomato? Who made you? Who made the earth?” And all the processes of development and
adaptation and evolution I described do not answer that question. They address a different question; they
answer how. But they don’t tell us who.
I think perfectly intelligent and
decent human beings get all tangled up in arguments and controversies and
misunderstandings about the Bible, and particularly about this first chapter of
Genesis, because we have the answer but we don’t know what question it’s
supposed to be answering.
So let’s be clear. The Bible is not a science book, although
there may be elements in it that are scientifically accurate. In the same way, the Bible is not a history
book, although there may be aspects of it that are historically accurate.
And so when we read the Creation
story, it is not meant to answer the questions of how the world was created or
when. Rather, in its poetic verses,
Genesis 1 tells us who -- Who made
the heavens and the earth? Who made the
tomato? Who made you? God did.
God calls the universe into creation from the chaos by the spoken Word, and declares that every element of it is good.
But Genesis 1 answers more than just who. It also answers why. Scientists don’t answer that question,
either. Physicist Stephen Hawking,
observes: “Although science may solve the problem of how the universe began, it
cannot answer the question: Why does the universe bother to exist? I don't know the answer to that.”
Ah, but Genesis 1 gives us the
answer; Genesis 1 addresses not only why, but also the important concepts of
meaning and purpose and value – question that science does not ask and cannot
answer. The Creation story tells us that
we have been created in the image of God.
We are to be companions to God, to share life and thought with God, to
name God’s name, to love God, and to be stewards of God’s creation and
co-creators with God by being fruitful and multiplying. This contrasts with other ancients texts in the
Near
Eastern world, in which human beings were created as servants of the gods,
appointed to do work on earth that the gods did not care to do. In our holy scriptures, we are colleagues and
co-partners with our Creator.
Genesis doesn’t tell us how or
when the heavens and the earth were created, but it tell sus something more
important --- who created them and us, and why, offering meaning, purpose, and
value.
Author Annie Dillard writes: “The
question from agnosticism is, Who turned on the lights? The question from faith is, Whatever for?”
Faith doesn't wonder, How did we
get here? Faith asks, Why are we here?
Believers are not motivated by
curiosity about the origins of the universe. Believers are motivated by a passionate
concern to know whether the universe -- and they -- matter!
The Genesis story satisfies our
concerns. Look at all God has made and
know that it is good! Look at all God has made and celebrate it! Love it! Cherish it!
Care for it!
Look at all God has made – even
this beautiful tomato -- and give God thanks! Amen.
[i] http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/08/how-the-higgs-boson-posits-a-new-story-of-our-creation.print.html
[ii] Portions of this sermon are inspired by “In
the Beginning” by Rev. Timothy Ensworth, First Congregational, UCC, Waterloo,
IA, September 12, 2004, http://www.firstcongucc.org/Texts/pdf_files/In_the_beginning.pdf.
