It's Not Good to be Alone - The Story We Find Ourselves In (Part 5)
It's interesting that in the wake of a chorus of God's proclamations throughout Genesis 1 that He saw what He had made and it was "good," we come to chapter 2 to hear for the first time that something was "not good." This is all the more intriguing because the "not good" comes before we get to chapter 3 and the entrance of sin. But the "not goodness" of chapter 2, rather that being a result of the entrance of sin in chapter 3, is rather an indication of God's creation in progress that had not yet reached it's full expression. In fact, some have suggested that the "not good" of Genesis 2 ought to be read between the "good" of Genesis 1:26 and the "very good" of Genesis 1:31. Click here to listen again to the sermon that traces that journey. To see a preview of the video that is referenced at the beginning of the sermon, click here.
Naming and Being Named
Some ancient cultures believed that if you knew someone's or something's true name, it gave you power over them or it. It is an intriguing concept that, at least to some extent, has some ring of truth about it. At least one segment of the Genesis 2 story includes naming. In the process of naming the animals, what surfaces is that Adam has no one like himself to name and be named by. When he first meets Eve, at least part of his delight was in the realization that he now had someone who could be a part of this process with him, naming each other, and naming the creation entrusted to their care. It was a time when being completely naked and exposed before each other, and their world, and God, brought no sense of shame. With the entrance of sin, the prospect of naming and being named must have seemed much risker, as concealment rather than exposure became the overriding pattern in their lives, and the lives that have ensued since.
Questions for Reflection:
How would you describe the difference between naming and labeling. How have you experienced, or participated in each? What are you reflections about this?
Links & Resources:
To Explore the Issue of Loneliness further, click here
Believing, Behaving and Belonging by Richard Rice - an excellent book exploring the significance of community in the Christian life. For more information about this book, click here.
Quotes
As there are two creation stories in Genesis, so there are two stories of the making of Adam and Eve, and both make the same point. Despite the proliferation of do-it-yourself books, we can't do it ourselves. We need each other. As to who came first, Jesus makes it clear that this is a matter of unimportance. He emphasizes this by stating that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Adam is not better than Eve because he arrived on the scene first; nor is Eve less than Adam because she came second. (Often the butler and the maid begin the play.) It was the storyteller's realization that it is not good for the human creature to alone that is important. God has called us to be co-creators, a corporate activity. Dean Inge of Saint Paul's says, "God promised to make you free. He never promised to make you independent."
We are most free when we are most willing to acknowledge our interdependence. Adam and Eve were free until they saw each other as separate and autonomous, and afraid of their Creator.
-Madeleine L'Engle, The Genesis Trilogy (Colorado Springs: Waterford Press, 1997), 41-42.
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To what extent can you relate to idea of being "naked and unashamed" in the sense of another knowing you are you really are, and feeling unashamed at the same time? How does your understanding of Grace influence the way you think or feel about this? Reflect for a few moments on Jesus' call to renounce labeling and move toward naming in His call to love our enemies, the story of the prodigal son, and in other stories/teachings that characterized His ministry. Where are the growing edges for you personally? How might embracing this more fully impact your personal relationships, how you relate to other members of your community, how you relate to other people who for whatever reason are not part of your community, how you relate to those who are angry with you and may threaten you with harm?
Where are the places in your own life where you are most in need of "being named"? Where are the places that you are most in need of learning to name rather than label?