by Norman Habel
I invite you to read afresh the Genesis One creation account. I ask you to read the story through the eyes of Earth.
If you do, you may well discover, as I did, the story of Baby Earth.
The text begins within a simple superscription stating that God created the skies and Earth. Then the creation story begins. The first character introduced is Earth.
Earth is there, waiting. Earth is described as not yet fully formed—like an embryo. Earth is located deep in the dark primal waters, a domain reminding us of a womb. Earth, it seems, is waiting to be born.
The scene is one of calm, not chaos—of silent expectation about what is going to happen. A wind shimmers over the waters. It is the wind of God. The wind is like a bird hovering above, watching over Earth below . . . almost like a midwife.
Then there is a sound, a voice from God that calls out in the vast, black darkness. “Let there be light!” Light appears and separates the deep dark below from the new light above. The appearance of light means that Earth will be seen when Earth emerges from the dark primal waters.
The sound of God’s voice is heard a second time. “Let there be a canopy over the waters.” When the canopy appears, God calls it sky. That canopy means there will be space for Earth to enter and be seen.
Then comes the big moment. Does God say, “Let there be Earth”? No! Earth is already there in the primal womb waiting to appear. Instead, God says, “Let the waters part.” Or, if you prefer, “Let the waters burst and let Earth appear.”
The original word for “appear” is significant because it is a word used when God appears. In other words, this moment is special, unique. This is the moment when the land emerges from the primal deep and is born.
What does God name this baby? Earth! Baby Earth is born and named as such by God.
God brings the baby to life in a special way by summoning all kinds of vegetation to come forth from Baby Earth. Baby Earth is green, breathing through all the trees that grow across her face.
When God sees this child, alive and green, God responds just as Moses’ mother did when she first saw her baby. God says, “Good,” or in contemporary terms, “Beautiful.”
Yes, Earth is born and God responds with “Beautiful!” Surely God loves such a baby.
I invite you now to hear Baby Earth in that magic moment.
“Do you also think I am beautiful? Will you love me—for all time?”