Genesis 02

You know, things didn't used to be this way.

Everybody loves to remember the good old days.  None of us have actually seen the good ol' days, though.  We've seen the less terrible days, and the more tolerable days, but none of us have actually seen good old days.  Only two people who ever lived have.

Genesis 2 is one of the strangest chapters in the Bible.  Unlike chapter 1, it's not just the record of the acts of God.  There are people, with recognizable attributes, thoughts, and occupations, so in one sense it's familiar.  There's a point of contact for us.  On the other hand, though, it's like nothing we've ever experienced.

In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, ""everything was beautiful and nothing hurt".  In Genesis 2, there was nothing wrong.  Think about that for a minute.  There was no pain.  There was no sorrow.  There was no regret.  There was no despair.  Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

Genesis 2 was the last time that the world was how it was supposed to be.  It was the last time that he could look upon the earth and call it very good.  It was the last time that all of humanity was united in perfect love with God.  All of Scripture, and all of human history, is the story of mankind screwing that up and trying desperately to get back to it.

But he can't.  We can't.  We can't fix what was broken.

Right now, I'm sitting at my kitchen table typing this.  My back hurts, my neck hurts, and I'd really, really rather be sleeping.  This is essentially my default setting; I didn't notice anything wrong until I actually thought about what hurt.  Other than being fat, I'm in excellent health, but there's still that backdrop of pain and weariness that lies behind everything I do.  It's just the way the world is, and there's nothing I can do about it.

The only one who can fix it is God.  And he will.  He has.

I said that Genesis 2 was the last time the world was how it was supposed to be.  What I should have said was that it was the last time so far.  He will not allow his creation to be warped and broken forever.  There's a day coming when everything will be remade as it was meant to be, and it will never go wrong again.  No hunger, no war, no hate nor violence nor suffering, only redeemed, perfected humanity eternally in love with the God who saw its helpless state and did what it took -- what only he could do -- to make things right.

Everything will be beautiful, and nothing will hurt.