In the Beginning

In the Beginning

The Lord formed the man from the dust of the ground,

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,

and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7

Any time I have a chance to go to the zoo, I love to watch the apes: gorillas, chimpanzees, and especially orangutans.  They have such expressive faces and silly antics.  When I visited the Metro Richmond Zoo a few years ago, an orangutan had found a bright green plastic soda bottle, and was having a great time chewing on it and mangling it into a green stick. 

I have never been able to embrace the theory that these animals are my close cousins; that I somehow descended from them over millions of years through a process of natural selection.  My belief in the nature and formation of man is the same as the ancient biblical writers who proclaimed: 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.  For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast.  Psalm 33:6

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command...  Hebrews 11:3. 

I believe that I was made by God in His image, an expression of His creative genius and His love for the human race.  He is my heavenly Father, and I acknowledge myself as His child.  I rest today in the promise of His presence.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glories of the sky.

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

(The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 92)