Contemplating Creation

The mystery of creation has held people curious since their beginning.  Each culture created a myth to explain the event.  The African people of the Kalahari Desert believe they are Kaang’s people.  Kaang is God who lived with all animals and people under the earth, before providing them a way to emerge onto the earth.  This is similar to several other creation stories.

Some Native American tribes believe in emergence/metamorphosis.  Humans started in the “womb” of the world.  Kaang’s people also started in the womb, the inner part of the earth.  

Ex nihilo means something out of nothing, yet the human emergence of man onto the earth before woman, Kaang’s warning to man of the one thing he should not do, and Kaang’s departure to a place of observance all resemble the Ex Nihilo story of creation.

The Kumulipo story has ties to science.  The world was created over a long cosmic night and in two parts.  The organisms came first in the darkness of the spiritual world.  Next came the sun and evolution, as later described by Charles Darwin.

The other myths told a story but not about the creation of human life.  Several were not concerned with the creation of life, but rather about the occurrence of the things around them.  The Mongolian story describes the creation of the elements.  Pandora’s Box describes the beginning of envy, hate, and hope in the world.  The Cherokee myth describes the emergence of the material world: land, sea, and air.

It is interesting that the Greek myths included Gods who made mistakes and had very human qualities about them.  It is my conviction that God is not confined to a description of words.  His character is perfect, flawless, beyond any quality humans can achieve.  His image cannot be put on paper because no one can see God in his perfect form.  We were created in His image, yet we are in temporal cavities that are marred by aches and pains.  God could not have a human body such as ours; what would we have to look forward to if God were in the same shape as us?

Each story is similar in that it wants to say something specific.  Most of the stories, such as the Greek myths, are very explicit about their theme.  Some of the others describe the story and allow the audience to infer its meaning.  The African creation myth uses the scenario to emphasize the importance of obedience and collation with each other.  Creation Ex Nihilo also emphasizes this point, but others as well.  Genesis tells two tales about human origin.  In each, humans are created slightly different and at slightly different points in the time-line.  While some say that these stories conflict with each other, I believe they enhance the meaning behind each other.  The point is not how humans were created, but by whom.  One of the accounts infers that God is loving and personal.  The other shows His omnipotence and authority.  One is not wrong and the other right; the two explain the complexity of God and his ability to be the ultimate “parent.”  

This project was very insightful and yet aided in reaffirming my own beliefs.  I have realized that throughout college I have learned to not only be tolerate of the beliefs of others, but to be confident about my own.  I feel I have gained better insight into Christianity and why it speaks to my heart in the way it does.