In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1, NIV)
How come He decided to bless the Earth with such vast complex of creatures and plants? According to the first two chapters of Genesis, God created the earth in six days and eight commands. He rested on the seventh day. The order is (brought to you by Wikipedia):
- Day one: Light to create day and night (command 1)
- Day two: The creation of firmaments, making skies (command 2)
- Day three: The creation of oceans and land (command 3); the creation of plants(command 4)
- Day four: Separation of firmaments to create time and the Sun and Moon (though indirectly referenced-command 5)
- Day five: Marine animals and birds, and commands to multiply (command 6)
- Day six: Land animals (command 7) and Man and Woman from His own hand (command 8)
- Day seven: Rest of the Lord and blessing
Growing up, this was one of the values we were taught, along with others that I’ll take a moment to explain later. However, many cosmologies (that’s the science that deals with the universe at large) have an interesting explanation. Although I’m not a firm believer of them, they offer creative guesses of how the Earth was actually made.
I still think that God made the Earth in seven periods of 24 days (or so we think). Yet, many people say that the Earth is six billion years old. I also think that God may have created the earth in a time frame, using “day” in a allegorical/symbolical way. Maybe God took a billion years each (that’s an eon), and that’s OK. God doesn’t need to tell us everything, just something.
This has been on a grave controversy, especially in America. Could this be teached in a classroom, along with evolution? For me, yes… and no. Yes, for the fact that it is part of the cosmologies and cosmogonies (who deal with the theories concerning the creation of the Earth) that revolve around, and this could also be discussed within the classroom. No, for the concerning fact of the secularity that many schools are supposed to present. This doesn’t mean that one school is more “holy” than the other; it’s the fact of how the school (and hence, the boards) deal within it. Christian schools (including parishes) will obviously teach this, so I’ll skip that part.
I won’t keep up talking about the abundant scientific hoopla concerning with creation, that’s not my job! However, my point here is explaining (to the best of my ability) my beliefs about something I do care, was raised, and take by heart, mind and soul. It’s thrilling to see that the first verse of Genesis can cap off for ALL of us. We were made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), showing that although we rule over creation, Jesus Christ is the beginning and end of it. God will always be checking upon the happenings of His beautiful betrothed, the one that awaits His return.