Genesis: Little question, colossal conclusion

Ever get asked what seems to be a little question only to discover that it has a huge answer? Sort of like when your kid asks, "Where do babies come from?" Recently I was asked, "What do you think God did before the creation of the world?" Little did I realize the significance of the question at the moment.

You see, whatever God was doing pre-time is probably what he will be doing post-time. So once we are past the pretty descriptions of heaven, what will actually be happening for eternity? What are we being called to? I think the answer is "relationship within the trinity."

Jesus' prayer in John 17 seems so crucial to this concept. In it he affirms that he was sharing the glory and love of the trinity before creation (17:5, 24) and that he received blessings - work, words and the Name - from the Father. So before creation, the Trinity was sharing love, glory and gifts internally. That sharing spilled over into what we call creation and, more importantly, the creation of us. We are the product of a relational Trinity and follow Jesus back into that relationship.

The "so what" is that it demonstrates the core nature and identity of God to us. We are not called to serve the "unmovable mover" - a distant non-relational power - nor a tyrant seeking servants nor the "judge in the sky" who is watching for my next error to condemn me. We are made in the image of and called to return to a relationship. We function best in the here and now when we function in relationships. What we leave behind in legacy after death are relationships. What we cherish most are relationships. What Jesus established on earth was a community ("church" - followers in relationship).  Why? Because our core identity - the image of God from creation (Genesis 1:26-27) - is the image of a relationship. No wonder Jesus said the most important commandments are love God and love your neighbor.

And so that little question of "What do you think God did before the creation of the world?" is not such a little question after all. It only affects who I believe God is, why I was created, how I should live now and what to expect after death. Little question, colossal conclusion.

Romans 16:1-19; Greetings

I hung up the phone last night after talking to my friend in Venezuela and made sure I said goodbye in an appropriate Venezuelan way. Not only did I say "goodbye" in three different ways but I also sent "saludos" (greetings) to each of the other family members. To not have done so would have demonstrated my self interest and lack of concern for others. When reading the first of chapter 16, it sounds exactly the same.

Then Paul throws a "curve ball". He reminds them that not everyone is really after their friendship; they need to be wise about who they give their hearts to. What a difficult balance. Be loving and be wise. Build genuine authentic relationships but be wise in who you do it with. Keep your guard up a litle but once someone passes the test, love them deeply.

Maybe today I'll take a relationship inventory. Have I chosen wisely? Have I developed deep bonds? Who are my "garden friends" that I can count on during "garden of Gethsemane" type moments?

In Venezuela (and many other Latin American countries) we say "Dime con quien andas, y te diré quien eres" (Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who your are). I think Paul would have liked that saying.