Simple and Mysterious

What the Creation story of Genesis reveals to us is a story that speaks of beginnings and humanity's movement from exile to Home.  A man and a woman were created for life in the Garden of Eden, but they made a bad choice and they were cast out of the Garden.  The history of humanity has gone forth from that moment when human life was conceived in a Garden into a world where sin, and guilt, and death seemed to have the upper hand.  And, of course, the New Testament gospel of Jesus is God's response to this untenable predicament of humankind.   The cross makes the way to the place of beginnings an option of grace.    

Of course, what has been set forth is likely to be seen by some as an oversimplification.  Others will point to great doctrines not mentioned.  And, some will read the words with dismay thinking the mark of understanding has been totally missed.  There is some truth in such responses; yet, it is also true that as complicated as some might make the gift of justification, salvation, and sanctification, it remains simple enough that a young child can receive fully these holy blessings.    

In actually, the gospel is not a complicated thing.  Jesus spoke His truth in such a way that it blessed children, challenged uneducated fishermen, and opened the door of the Kingdom to those judged to be the worst of society.  It is more mysterious than complicated.  God's love is a wonder of the creation.  He never fails to love us.  Everything we know about Him comes from this love.  What is amazing is not that something talked about with such complicated language could be so simple, but that God would choose to love us unconditionally even though we often seem to like traveling any road rather than the road Home.