With the new Creation Museum opening there has been a renewed controversy regarding evolution and creation. This is compounded additional attempts to combine the two in a theory called “Theistic Evolution” drawing heavy fire from both sides. While preparing for a new sermon called, “God the Creator” I was faced with a serious dilemma. What do I say? How do I handle this? Our church is in a university town and I know there are people in our congregation divided on this issue. Some of these people searching for God, might perceive as quaint the traditional Christian view on origins.
Perhaps I should state my opinion – I do believe in a literal six day creation. I think there is great research and that this theory of origins is as plausible as another. But, where I differ from many of my counterparts is that I don’t think it’s that important. I do not think that the “How” of Genesis 1 & 2 is as important as the “Why”. The important “Why Question” is, “Why are we here?” The answer, God put us here for his pleasure. The less important “How Questions” is, “How did God put us here?” The answer, “No one knows for 100% certain.”
The clearest message of the Genesis’ account is to teach us some basic principles about God and his creativity. The first chapter of Genesis reveals that God creates with order and design. There is a progression to his handiwork and a purposefulness about it. It is not a random accident enabled by time and chance. Rather creation is the beautifully designed and crafted work of God which may have taken six literal or figurative days. The truth we learn about God from the second chapter is that God creates with love. God bends down, works in the mud, and creates humanity by hand. He then breathes into us the breath of life. This is the message. Let us stop arguing and agree that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
