Week three of our worldview series: “In the beginning... Let there be community!” Over the past two weeks we have looked at some key Worldview realities that come from Genesis 1-3. Week one we saw that out of chaos, God established laws boundaries for our good and flourishing through the separating and filling of creation, “In the beginning… Let there be boundaries!” Week two we saw God’s God’s marvelous design in crowning humanity as stewards and caretakers of the creation, “In the beginning… Let there be earth keepers, gardeners, builders, and developers!”
This week we take another look at the crown (humanity) of God’s creation with a focus on relationships; community and family. There are some very important and informative phrases in the Hebrew language of the creation story. We will look at God’s design for community and family through phrases of, ‘It was not good for Adam to be alone’, ‘God created a ‘helper’ suitable for him’, ‘the two shall become one flesh’, and ‘they were naked and unashamed.’
There is much research out there about the affects of isolation/alienation on our overall health. God’s design for humanity is wrapped up in community and family. Yet, these concepts today are fraught with pain and brokenness. What did God design in the beginning? What changed? And how does Jesus Christ and God’s redemption bring this design into goodness once again?
It has much to do with the reversing of shame and isolation. Today, we see evidence everywhere of a ‘Battle of the sexes’. Its not a new story but an old one. What ought the nature of our female/male relationships be?
Lets look into the garden (Eden) and see what we find,