In the Beginning

In the beginning… (Genesis 1:1)
In the beginning… (John 1:1)
That which was from the beginning… (1 John 1:1)

The refrain of in the beginning intrigues me. It's as if there's a story here to be told.

Almost all agree that Genesis is an account of creation. It reflects a very ancient Hebrew cosmology and can be read as polemic against the cosmologies of other ancient peoples, in particular, those of the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Mesopotamians. Genesis 1 seems to be very liturgical in tone, with oft-repeated phrases that would make it easy to memorize. God speaks from a distance, calling non-existent things into existence as if they already were existing.

Why did the author(s) of Genesis feel the need to challenge the beliefs of surrounding peoples, even if by implication? According to Genesis, the sun, moon, and stars are for the purpose of telling time and giving light to the earth. Implied is the belief that the luminaries are not deities to be worshiped, as was done throughout the Ancient Near East, especially in Assyria. Why do this?

Simply, it was designed to tell their own stories of who they are, who God is, and how they will interact with everything else. It's as if the Israelites were saying to all others, “Look, there's a new kid in town! Our God has formed us into a nation that embodies the truth about God through a covenant God made with us at Sinai. We are the image-bearer of God, thereby exemplifying true humanity. And we have come into your midst, into the land that our God promised to give to our forefathers in order to bring the light of God into the darkness that you have created.” Thus, it was the story of themselves using cosmic imagery.

St. John picks up on this in the beginning language to do the same thing, this time to proclaim Jesus as the true human image-bearer who has pitched his tent in our midst to bring the light of God into the darkness that we've created. It was to tell the story of Christ and his followers, the new creation of the new nation of the New Israel living under a New Covenant that was sealed with the body and blood of Jesus. It was the story of the greatest “do over” in history!

More at another time!