I originally posted this under a pseudonym on another blog, which was stupid. This narrative really explains the way I've begun to understand God and his relationship to us.
Chapter 1: Creation
In the beginning, God created the perfect world. It lacked nothing, and it was very good. So good, in fact, that God wanted someone to enjoy it with him. So he created women and men to enjoy the world, to enjoy each other, and to enjoy God forever.
People enjoyed the world for a while, and soaked up its many pleasures. God made all the good in the world available to them, but instructed them not to worry about the difference between good and evil. They were meant to simply enjoy God and everything he’d given them–completely free to choose from any of the good that God had made available.
Chapter 2: Curiosity and the Love of Free Choice
But curiosity, a wonderful thing, soon became great in the hearts and minds of the people, so great that they soon set out to discover good and evil for themselves. That God would keep this choice from them must mean that he didn't trust them with Important Things, and they were determined to prove him wrong.
Soon equipped with their new knowledge (for God did not prevent them from fulfilling their curiousity), the people left their perfect world behind. God was not happy with his children’s decision. “You have ruined what I created for you,” he said. “I did not create you with the capacity to choose good over evil because I intended to do that for you. Now, with your new knowledge, you must choose. And since this has become your heart’s desire, I will not deprive you of it or its consequences.”
Chapter 3: Choices and Consequences
But people did not always choose good over evil, as God knew they would not. The perfect world was gone and in its place was suffering. And just as God had resolved to destroy his ruined creation now corrupted by evil, a thought came to him. He suddenly knew just what to do.
"They may have ruined what I created for them,” he said, “but behold, I will do something even better with what has now been left.”
Chapter 4: The Test Group
In that moment, God looked at his children and at the mess they’d made, and he chose a group of them. “Abraham,” he called, “I am going to bless you with an opportunity to fulfill the human dream–a chance to gain your own salvation and to learn how to choose good over evil once and for all.” After all, if these men and women could learn to choose good, then certainly anyone could. And if they couldn’t…
“Yes, Lord!" the people replied. "We know that we can make the right choice. How do we choose good, Lord? Teach us!” the people asked.
“Like this,” he replied. And the Law was born.
Time after time, year after year, and chance after chance found the people failing. The Law, clear as it was, proved to be too difficult to follow. People once again faced the crippling fact that they could not always choose good over evil. And yet they continually tried, for their pride was deeply rooted and their self-belief was great. But this was not how they were created.
Chapter 5: Intervention
After several hundred years of trying, God stepped in.
“Enough,” he exclaimed. “I have watched my children struggle for long enough. Do you now see that I did not create you for choosing good over evil, but to enjoy me and my goodness forever? Let me fix you and make you whole again. Let me send you unconditional forgiveness and completion. Let me send you Grace. You will know him as Jesus (God saves).”
At first, the people were confused. Would this finally be the person who could help them to become perfect? To gain the ability to always choose good over evil? But Jesus was not who they expected or wished that he would be. He was a servant and a healer, come to restore the world to how it was meant to be and to end the suffering that their bad choices had created.
Chapter 6: A Big Mistake
As the people spent more time with Jesus (Grace), he began to demonstrate to them where they fell short of the Law's instruction. "Close enough isn't enough," he said, and the most righteous of the people were offended by his message. And yet the least righteous of them found great acceptance and restoration in his presence. It was as if he were saying that the Law was not the only thing that could save them -- its purpose could be fulfilled in another way. Grace could pardon them from their choice and restore them to God.
When the people realized this, they turned on Grace with a new wrath too great for words. They still believed that they were capable of choosing good over evil, and they did not appreciate this attempt to undermine their latest endeavor to do so. They were unable to realize that this was not how they were created. And with all of the pride and self-belief they could muster, they chose the greatest evil of them all.
They killed Grace. God’s attempt to fix and save his children was completely and entirely rejected.
Chapter 7: The Gospel
God was left in quite a predicament. The people he’d created to enjoy him forever could not enjoy him fully because they continually chose evil over good, yet his greatest attempt to freely fix them of this eternal problem was rejected and sent back without a moment’s thought. They could not enjoy him. They would not be fixed. And just as God had resolved (for a second time) to destroy his now completely ruined creation, a thought came to him again. And again, he suddenly knew just what to do.
“They have chosen to reject my Grace,” he exclaimed, “but I too am free. I reject your rejection, my children. Grace is yours. You are fixed. You are free to enjoy me forever. I do not hold your pride against you anymore, for you are my children, and I love you.”
It is the best news we the people could ever hope to hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment