Creation – Part One
Creation and the Image of God –
“Why am I here?” This question resonates deeply inside each of us. We all want to know the purpose of our lives.
What am I here for? Why does any of it matter?
Wondering about our importance and significance often is where we start to ask questions. But getting answers to these questions is not where the Bible begins.
God, the Cornerstone for All Reality
Within the grand narrative, the first “act” is creation. The Bible doesn’t begin with an explanation of humanity and its purpose. Instead, it begins with the existence of God.
The introductory phase, “God created,” asserts that God Himself is the cornerstone for all reality, truth, and significance. Humanity–and its purpose–can only be rightly understood in its relationship to God. Humans are image bearers; we are contingent on the One whose image we bear.
How to Steward our Creativity
Dr. Melody Harper – Chair, Department of Global Studies
Knowing about God Matters a Great Deal as We Figure out How to Live as Humans
We can’t answer a student’s questions about their own life unless we can put their story into an overarching narrative that makes sense of the world. And the first task in building this narrative is learning about the One who authored it.
In Genesis 1, we learn a great deal about God. First and foremost, He demonstrates that He is the Creator and Author of life.
God is a Creative Being
In some ways, this ability to create has been passed on to us as His image bearers. We can see this in so many fields. In the arts it’s obvious, and even in mathematics, there’s a need for creativity–or inspiration–in developing methods and theories.
Part of our job as faculty members is relating the individual stories and passions of our students to the overarching story of redemption. A huge part of this story deals with humanity’s ability to create and steward.
Professor and Student: A Journey of Discovery, Growth, and Impact
Professor Durrell Nelson: Cinematic Arts
Professor Durrell Nelson takes and in-depth approach to creativity in filmmaking. He guides his students so they can see how the field can be used for the glory of God.
Beth: B.A. Cinematic Arts
“In order for God’s creative power to come out in what we create — we have to seek Him in what we do. Being able to sit down with a professor and seek that together is absolutely incredible.”
For Further Research:
- Article/Lecture
- Cultural Influence: An Opportunity for the Church by Gabe Lyons – Comment Magazine
- Why Your Creativity Matters to Christ by Thomas Terry Lister – The Gospel Coalition
- Books
- Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch – (particularly chapter 6)
- Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work by Timothy Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf
- Videos
- What is the Cultural Mandate? by Andy Crouch
- Creation & Creativity by Tim Keller
Other Posts in This Series
Creation – Part Two
Creation in the Image of God – “And God said…” It’s easy to overlook this phrase when considering the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2, but just pause for a moment to think about the power represented here: “And God said…” It’s a statement followed by the words: “And it was so.” The Power of...
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Fall – Part One
The Fall and the Problem with People – Creation was very good. God walked with humankind, and there was peace and prosperity. Injustice did not exist, and creation worked in the way it was designed. The world, like a wonderful sonnet, was full of harmony and lacked chaos. Everything Changed After the Fall By...
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Fall – Part Two
The Problem with the World – The writer of Ecclesiastes saw all of God’s creation and said that: “What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.” (Ecclesiastes 1:15) Here, the author recognized that what was originally created as “very good” (Genesis 1:31), has been dramatically affected by the Fall....
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