Stories are a wonderful means for communication and entertainment. It’s through factual stories that we learn about what happened at another time, in another place, to someone else. They can be informative in communicating useful information while, at the same time, providing a context for that information. Instead of just presenting data, they can shed light on how and why certain events took place, how those events affected the people involved, and consider the ongoing ramifications of the events. Other stories are told for the primary purpose of entertaining their readers. Whereas factual stories can be entertaining depending on how they’re presented, fictional stories can provide a distraction from the difficulties of real life. They may employ factual elements in their telling, but they’re not primarily attempting to report the facts as they actually happened.

The intersection of fact with fiction is of great interest—or should be—for the reader or viewer of a story. Depending upon the intentions of the story’s author, this connection between fact and fiction can be used to clarify, embellish or obscure what is true and what is false, what is real and what is not. That’s why hearers of a story need to consider what’s being presented to them. They need to consider the source of the story; have some appreciation for the intention of those presenting the story; consider how and why the story is being told. Some stories are told primarily to convey factual information, but to do it in a manner that will hold the viewers’ interest. Other stories are told so as to stimulate the viewer’s imagination with the primary purpose to entertain rather than inform; factual information may be used in order to provide a realistic element so that the viewers can identify with the participants of the story.

Some stories use a lot of fantastic features in their telling, features that are unreal and work to carry the reader to places distinct from reality. An example is Peter Pan, the boy that could fly, who was able to use his capacities to prevent an evil pirate from doing harm to others. Some stories are told utilizing fantastic elements while at the same time making connections with things that are true to life in the culture in which they were written. The father of Hansel and Gretel left his children with a woman who turned out to be a witch who sought to do them harm. This, unfortunately, was a reflection of what parents in dire straits would do in earlier centuries: leaving unwanted children on the doorstep of a church or wealthy family. Fortunately for Hansel and Gretel they were able to turn the tables on the witch and make their way home with new-found riches. The point being that stories may employ various elements simply to further the plot, or they may employ those elements to get the reader to think about an issue current in the culture in which the story was written. A story may be just a good yarn, or it may be an attempt to present ideas that can inform the reader about issues pertinent to real life.

When it comes to reading and hearing what the Bible is saying it’s important to consider what we’re reading and how we’re to understand it. A case in point is the creation story that’s found in the first three chapters of the book of Genesis. I use the term “story” because this section of the book doesn’t just provide us with a list of facts concerning our origins; it develops a presentation of how things began. Starting with the existence of God prior to His creation, it presents a sequence of actions that led up to the creation of people to whom this story is directed. Where do we come from? Why are we here? Why are things the way they are? All of these questions are answered in this account of our origins. However, from this presentation another question arises: how are we supposed to interpret and utilize this story? Or perhaps another way of putting it is: how should this account of beginnings inform our lives?

Unbelieving culture, informed by modern science, scoffs at the biblical presentation of our origins; while the believing community often attempts to reevaluate scientific data in order to prove the truthfulness of the Bible.  Both approaches are precarious and base their views on facts that may not be as factual as they first appear. An example of this is the basic assumption on the part of scientists to affirm that processes utilized for radiometric dating have always been at work in the past. This results in a conclusion that the earth is billions of years old. It’s a reasonable assumption but an assumption nevertheless. Christians, on the other hand, attempt to counter the scientific argument by reevaluating the evidence that the Bible presents. Questions concerning the duration of a day in the first chapter of Genesis, or the manner in which the genealogical history was recorded elsewhere in the Bible, have been reconsidered in order to align the biblical record with modern science.

What I’m suggesting is that attempting to reconcile the Bible’s presentation of beginnings with the conclusions of modern science isn’t really appropriate. The Bible is not a science book and science is not as exact as it purports to be. If Christians are attempting to prove the existence of God by aligning the Bible with conclusions derived from science, then they will always come up short. Only select people at strategic times have encountered the Lord or His messengers in a physical manner. The vast majority of us have come to the Lord by hearing or reading about Him and accepting that message by faith! We don’t believe because we have direct “proof” of His existence. However the people who’ve bought into the science narratives are attempting to understand their existence through scientific investigation. Their proof makes them think they have the upper hand in understanding human origins because the evidence they rely upon has the appearance of solidity, and because of the number of adherents who embrace their view. But the foundation they’ve established isn’t as solid as it looks. Hard data is often held together by assumption and conjecture, and reliance upon the support of the masses is precarious as well. The notion that something is true because “everybody knows” it to be true is always suspect in this fallen world. Everybody can be wrong in their understanding of things, and the history of human societies provides many examples of this. What the biblical account is telling us is that human existence is a supernatural phenomenon and it’s the supernatural that continues to inform our lives through the God-breathed Word! (2 Tim 3:16) Furthermore, we need to recognize that in our effort to understand God, and ourselves, there’s a contest for our allegiance, and that, in this world, delusion is perpetuated by design; meaning someone is purposely trying to deceive us. (1 John 5:19; Gal 1:4)

This brings us back to a reading of the creation story in Genesis 1-3. There is much to be learned about God and ourselves in this presentation. We learn in the first chapter that everything that exists in our universe was created sequentially in six days.  The story begins with the establishment of the fundamental parameters of the cosmos, including certain elements within the universe. Then the account presents the creation of living things, both flora and fauna, culminating with the creation of human beings. What I think we need to appreciate is that this is a “myth” in the primary sense of the word. Listen to me carefully, because I’m not suggesting that it isn’t true. Everyday language uses the term “myth” to denote something that isn’t true, like a fable; New Testament writers used the term in this manner. But the primary definition focuses more on the content rather than its truthfulness. From this perspective myths provide an expression of basic beliefs that inform a particular people; they express the worldview that is embraced by a community.

Using this as a starting point how are we to approach what is presented to us in the Genesis account? What are we to get out of it? I think there’s a tendency to go to one of two extremes in our interpretation of the creation story. Either we take it as a resource for hard facts regarding our origins, or we dismiss it as fantasy, refusing to take it very seriously even if we don’t admit it. To illustrate what I think is a better way to handle the text, let’s focus on something else that’s presented here, using it as an example. In the first three verses we’re told that the Lord “created the heavens and the earth,” but the earth was “formless and void” and darkness prevailed until He said “let there be light;” this was on the first day. Later in the chapter God said “let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens” and He made the “two great lights” to “govern” the day and the night, meaning the sun and the moon; this was on the fourth day. (Vv. 14-16) In the nineteenth century when science was challenging Biblical views of human origins, Charles Darwin proposed the idea that human life was the result of an evolutionary process rather than God’s efforts. It was a significant contribution to the debate concerning our origins that continues to this day. We’ve been alluding to this already. However there were other challenges by science that were leveled at the truthfulness of the Bible. One of them suggested that the creation story contradicts itself by stating that light was created before the sun and the moon. This is an example of the opposition attempting to interpret the Bible as if it were a science book. It’s not a science book it’s a story (a myth) that presents the truth about human origins, including the creation of the universe in which we dwell. The question here is why does the story develop in this manner? Why does the sun appear after the Lord said “let there be light”? The conclusion that I’ve come to is there’s something a lot more important being presented here than the sequential creation of the stars that populate this universe. When God said “let there be light” He spoke the fundamental features of the universe into existence!

Let me explain what I mean. As science continued to develop in the 19^th and 20^th centuries after Darwin’s challenge, it was determined that the basic parameters of the universe could be detected and investigated leading to some major breakthroughs in our understanding of the reality in which we exist. Even if you don’t know anything about theoretical physics—and I certainly don’t know much—you’ve heard of the formula: e=mc². This equation and other conclusions associated with it provide a better understanding of the relationship between time, space and light. I don’t understand it and I’m not going to try to explain it. The point I’m trying to make is that when the Lord said “let there be light” He wasn’t talking about things that produce light, He was establishing the fundamental aspects that pertain to existence in space! He was establishing the features of our time-space continuum; He was establishing the fundamental features that constitute the universe. That had to be established before the sun and moon were created. And the conclusion here is to see that the sequence of the creation is not a contradiction. When God made this declaration He was establishing the basic aspects of existence in time and space. This is the God with whom we have to do! The one who can make that declaration is the one whom we worship. Seeing that, how can we not exalt Him? How can we not revere Him? How can we not serve Him? This is the power of this myth. It’s the revelation of the one true God to whom we owe our very existence! Amen and hallelujah!

I’ve suggested in previous posts that our effort to know the Lord and work out our “salvation with fear and trembling” can be a real adventure of exploration. We’ve been given an opportunity to know the Lord and to participate in His agenda. It’s an exciting and meaningful way to live. And fundamental to that journey is an ongoing study of His word, the Bible. That study takes work, it takes time, but it’s essential and tremendously rewarding. I encourage you again to go for it!