More on Creation

This week's Mustard Seed continues the theme of setting God as our final destination. Today, I look at a theme that recurs in my life at pivotal times: context.  An excellent english teacher in high school and an eccentric philosophy professor in college both stressed the importance of context. Not just where words are on a page, but where they stand in history, culture, and the world. So here's some context for my journey to today's post.
​My first attempt to read the Bible failed within the first few pages of Genesis. I was completely lost and I abandoned the project. A friend then suggested I begin with the New Testament, quickly amending her advise to, "Start with Matthew." Even at this, I floundered. Understanding even one book of the Bible seemed beyond me. I needed something even smaller.
    The Creed is a brief summary of the Christian faith. Perhaps that would be a good start. 'One God' seemed simple enough. 'Father Almighty' was a bit of a stretch. My father left when I was young; I didn't understand human fathers, let alone a God father. 'Creator of all things, visible and invisible.' I was back to the same beginning that led to my earlier despair. Yet, since this idea came so early in both the Bible and creed, it must be worth understanding. Authors start where they start for a reason. Perhaps understanding my life in the context of creation would be a good start.
    Contemplating my place relative to all that God has and will create brought to mind how small I felt at sea. Once land slips below the horizon, all one sees in any direction is sky and water. Sometimes for several days. At night, the darkness, punctuated by innumerable stars, amplifies our insignificance. In storms, when the ship heaves and tosses while waves crash over the bow, we know our frailty. How much smaller still I felt then, comparing myself to all that ever has been, is, and ever will be in the whole universe. Yet I existed. Amidst this vast creation, that knows me only as a cosmic speck for an instant of time, God deemed that I should be. That's a wonderful place to start.
    Next week: More on context. 
​                                                                        God bless

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