The story of Creation and the origins of humanity are told in the book of Genesis, and throughout the unfolding narrative of the Bible.
While I do not take these stories as literal anymore, I do find a fascinating sequence of events play out that I only just noticed recently.
In the beginning, God is all alone prior to creating the universe. Once this is set in motion, however, we notice a few interesting details:
God makes man in the image of God, “both male and female” and only later divides them into two separate beings: Adam and Eve.
When they disobey God’s command and eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they are then separated from the Garden of Eden.
Once outside the Garden, they multiply and separate again into tribes, and then again into nations.
The entire process is one of a continuing and ever-expanding series of separations.
But something fascinating happens when Christ arrives on the scene: All of those separations are reversed.
Men and Women are made whole again:
“Now, in Christ, there is no longer any male or female…” [Gal. 3:28]
Jew and Gentile are unified once more:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all one in Christ.” [Gal. 3:28]
All humanity is restored into one Family of God again:
“For he himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace…“ [Eph. 2:14-15]
Even humanity and God are restored once more into a Divine union where there is no longer any separation at all:
“For God was in Christ, not counting our sins against us but reconciling the World to Himself.” [2 Cor. 5:19]
“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” – Jesus [John 14:20]
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Romans 8:35-39]
“For we are all filled with the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” [Eph. 1:23]
So, as you read the beginning of the Bible and notice how one separation follows another separation and the human race becomes divided from God, and then from our identity as Male and Female, and then into tribes, and factions and races and nations, it’s amazing to see how Christ comes and reverses the film until we are no longer separated by any of those things.
In Christ, we are all one. In Christ, the human race has been made whole again.
There is no “them” any longer. There is only “us.”
What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.
Amen.
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Keith Giles is the author of the 7-part best-selling “Jesus Un” book series from Quoir Publishing. His latest -and final book – in this series, Jesus Unarmed: How The Prince Of Peace Disarms Our Violence is available now. Keith is also the host of Second Cup with Keith [a new solo podcast available now on the Ethos Radio App, for Apple and Android and on Spotify; and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast [along with co-hosts Matthew Distefano, Dr. Katy Valentine, and Derek Day], and the new Imaginary Lines YouTube Channel with poet Darrell Epp. He and his wife, Wendy, currently live in El Paso, TX and work with Peace Catalyst International.
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