The Gospel in the Garden

The Bible starts with the book of Genesis, the origin story of our universe, of God’s working with humanity, the people of Abraham, and crucial for the rest of the Old Testament, the desendants of Jacob - called Israel.

Genesis is filled with a cosmology - or understanding of the universe - that is strange and very different from what we are taught. We should not be afraid of that, and we do not need to hold the two in tension. What we must do is immerse ourselves in the universe as described by the writers and compilers of Scripture and see what message they have for us.

Most importantly is the gospel - the good news - starts in Genesis! The Spirit weaves together one story that culminates in Jesus and His Kingdom, there is no change of plans, just one beautiful narrative of God reaching people where they are, across space and time, and reunifying them with Him and His purpose for them. (Including you and me!)