The first words of the biblical story set forth a radically God-centered vision of all reality: “In the beginning, God…” (Gen 1:1).
It’s easy to read over these few words without noticing how deeply they cut through and undermine the stories that humanity tells about itself—particularly the secular humanist story which has come to dominate the technological, consumeristic age in which we live. From a secular humanist perspective, humans stand at the center of existence, and the purpose of life revolves around personal desires and aims. That which is ultimately significant is simply that which brings the greatest sense of personal fulfillment or satisfaction. Yet Genesis 1:1 paints a picture of reality that stands in polar opposition to this secular humanist narrative.
To help capture the weight and significance of these first few words, consider what the Bible does not say here. It does not say, In the beginning, Jeff. It does not say, In the beginning, Katie. In other words, the Bible does not begin as a story centered on us. The Bible begins as a story centered on the Creator. “In the beginning, God.” It is God who has always existed and who stands at the center of all reality.
This God-centered beginning of the human story calls us to repentance; it calls us to turn from our futile attempts to find satisfaction in self-centered pursuits. Regarding such futility, Joshua Chatraw claims, “[A] self-centered life pushes against the very fabric of the universe. The more we demand to be in the center, the more we feel like we are losing control when things don’t respond to our wishes, which leads to frustration, anger, and a debilitating egotism. Self-absorption dehumanizes us, eventually leaving us bitter and alone, because we were made to turn outwardly rather than inwardly on ourselves.”[i]
Genesis 1:1 therefore calls us to decenter ourselves and recognize God as the rightful center of all existence. This recentering opens the way for us to find true and lasting joy in life. According to Chatraw, “The way to find ultimate joy, according to the Christian story, is to decenter ourselves and to step into relationship with this loving, personal God.”[ii]
Thus, the first four words of Scripture—“In the beginning, God“—do not simply begin the Bible’s account of creation; they summon us recognize God as the center of our own lives and to live accordingly.
[i] Joshua D. Chatraw, Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020), 110–11.
[ii] Chatraw, Telling a Better Story, 110.
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
