1. Earth's Birthday

This will be the first year that I am aware of earth’s birthday and I’m so happy that it’s coming soon, on September 1^st. Now to think about how to celebrate...

When I was a child I knew that my Jewish friends celebrated New Year’s Day in September, and a little later I learned that the Mother Church celebrated New Year’s Day in September too but I didn’t connect New Year’s Day with the actual creation of the earth until I read it in Bartholomew’s book last March. Well, I nearly jumped for joy. Of course! It makes sense that birthdays are personal New Year’s Days. And that the earth’s New Year’s Day is its birthday, the first day of creation.

Now, when I mention the beginning of the earth and humankind I hear a huge clamor like a global argument full of sound and fury in the distance. Test tubes are being shot from rifles like bullets, barreled chests fill themselves with hot air to spew forth powerful rhetoric; big bangs, loud bangs herald thousands of arrows raining down on the simple phrase that in the beginning when God created the heavens and earth…

One day an atheist friend entered Isaac Newton’s studio and marveled at a model of the universe sitting on his desk. “My, what a wonderful piece, who made it?” exclaimed his friend. Without even looking up from his work Isaac quickly responded, “No one.” “That’s impossible” said his friend. “Look how beautiful and intricate it is!” “My dear Sam, how is it that you can’t believe that no one made this simple model when you refuse to believe that a God of all creation formed this glorious earth beneath your feet?”

In my book, The Immortal Life, I go into detail about the significance of the creation and how the story reveals to us God’s plan for human immortality. In short, I don’t believe that Adam and Eve were punished for eating an apple but that they used their freedom to distrust God by which they alienated themselves from the Giver of life. Death is really nothing more than separation from life that is the source of life, God. Adam and Eve’s decision to divorce God (by distrust) came as no surprise to Him. God knew that it was just the beginning of a very long process during which the human species that He made in his creative, intelligent, and loving image-and-likeness could choose eternal life for themselves and become full fledged children of God who like Him can never experience death because they are life-filled.

Yes, this old planet earth is having a birthday once again. In spite of all of the wear and tear from thousands of years of weather, human, and animal use it is continuously renewed for another generation to admire, to inhabit, and to care for. Everything on the planet perishes, but the planet lives on.

While most mortals celebrate earth day in April, the fourth month of the four directions (north, south, east, and west) and the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and because spring brings rebirth at its natural best, immortals see the time where the fullness of nature wanes and the dark deep winter lies on the horizon as reminding them of the darkness and void out of which first light emerged. The day begins in darkness. On September 1st listen real hard for the echo from eons past of God saying, “Let there be light!”

Wouldn’t you know that earth is a Virgo! I think I’ll go and plant a dogwood tree. Come back soon!

2. Singing in the Dark-Day 1 Sunday

Come to the beginning of time with me. If we are careful not to make loud noises or jerking gestures we can fit into this bubble together. Yes, come in. That’s it. Now curl up right next me. Good. Comfy? Here we go. Up. higher and higher!

Look at those grassy lands next to the rocky-streets. See the busy people and the lazy people doing the same things as the busy critters and the lazy critters; watch them scurry to and fro eating, working, playing, sleeping, in bunches and alone. Look at those two over there; are they fighting or dancing? Are those two yelling or singing? I don’t know either. Interesting how the trees and plants and even the snakes and bugs are separated, some in deserts, some on mountains, some in the cold northern parts, some in the rainy hot middle. The little people don’t seem to care a whit where they live, as if they belong nowhere and everywhere.

Looks like our bubble is gliding into history; see the funny kinds of clothes on all the modest human bodies and so much more grassy-lands. Oh! The breeze is carrying us over the sea, now how will we know what era it is? Do you feel strangely warm? I suppose our bubble is taking good care of us. Notice how the constancy of the sea below keeps us from getting dizzy with the speed. Isn’t this journey thrilling!

We must be nearing Day 1, it’s getting quite dark. Don’t be scared, don’t cry; we’ll see God soon. I asked Him not to stop the bubble until we get to total chaos. Didn’t I tell you that? Oh my, it’s so dark that I can’t even see the sea anymore. Do you suppose it’s gone? Wait, I can’t see my hands! And I can’t see you either? Can you see me? But I know we are still in the bubble. How very eerie. Do you suppose we have entered the formless void? Darkness darkened. I feel us moving faster and faster; it must be the wind from God blowing us around to show us the face of the waters. I can’t see where the waters begin or where they end. It is not like before when I knew they were below. Now the waters are all around us and we are moving through them. It’s like being in a very thick black fog. I feel so wet, not like sweat or even water is on me, but that I am a thought-filled, breathing molecule of water. If we are at the very beginning, I wonder where God and water, and the wind came from. Some day I’ll ask. Now, I’m scared too. We’d better stop talking. Maybe the time has come. Let’s be very quiet, don’t even let your self think. Shhh! I hear God!

God said, “Let there be light.”

Ahhh!!! It is so beautiful. The light is in our bubble and the light is all around us. It is so deep, and so thin and so very white or is that blue? What a warm radiant light. Not an electric light, not sun light, not moon light. The light is everywhere. Where is it coming from? I see no source for it. I know that the light is not even God. I still can’t see God and I still can’t see you or my hands but I don’t care at all any more. The light is so good. In this light I sense that I know more and I feel less emotional. This must be perfect peace. Oh wait, look over there. Do you see way way over there on the left, darkness is coming to us like a wave over the shore? Where is the darkness coming from and where is the light going? Oh, I remember, He said the light will be called day and the darkness will be called night after He separated them. We made it into time! This must be the very first day! Let the cycle begin! Just kidding, okay, I’ll stop playing God.

3. Up Sky - Day 2 Monday

September 2008 – If you are visiting evangeline’s blog for the first time in September, you have arrived in the middle of a series about Creation week. Please start with Singing in the Dark. You’ll be glad you did. Peace.

The light seems to be dissipating into thin air. Where is it going? It almost looks like a big bottle of ink was spilled onto the misty-bright foggy droplets and stained them. What next? Oh no! Now, it’s all dark again, but you know, I don’t care. I’m exhausted, let’s try to sleep. Here put your head on my chest. I know you still can’t see me, but you can feel me, right? a little higher. That’s good. I’ll hug you tight with my arms and legs. Feel good? Want me to hum you a lullaby? Let’s let go of all our fear and just relax. It’s okay; nothing can hurt us in our bubble. Take a deep breath. Sweet dreams my friend.

Wow, I actually fell asleep! Are you awake? Did you sleep too? No, well did you see anything? When is the light coming back? It’s still so weird not to have a sun but just to wait for the light to appear. Maybe it won’t. Does God have to tell it to come back again? How do we know? You know, next time (haha) I’m going to bring my copy of the first chapter with me. I can’t even remember what is supposed to happen now.

Wait a second; I think I see something new. It’s on your side. Move over; let me see what it is. Everything is still so wet. I can hardly tell what is happening through the thick fog. Water, water everywhere! We have wet light, wet wind, wet me, wet you, our wet bubble and even wet darkness. Whoa! WHOA!! We’re spinning! Yikes, I hope our bubble doesn’t pop.

Oh my goodness! Does that look like the Houston Astrodome rising out of the dark fog? Amazing! It’s so white and so huge… It’s getting more and more enormous and now it is pushing us out. Where are we going in this misty ocean? Let’s try to maneuver around it to the other side. God, can we see exactly how big this dome thing is? Take us over there… uh, please Sir.

Thanks. Now for some light please? Just kidding, have it Your way. I’ll wait.

I’m really glad that it’s still nice and warm in here, but I feel like I’m in a temperate steam bath. I don’t want to bug God anymore but I really want to try to get inside that astrodome. Maybe if we blow real hard together we can make the bubble go where we want. Come on, at the sound of three. 1---2---3 BLOW!

Excellent! Okay AGAIN. Boy, this thing is gargantuan! I think we’re almost at the end. A few more pushes and I think we can roll around the edge. Roll, roll, roll, ROLL. Okay. We’re in! Oh no! We’re falling!!! Oh it’s so bright again now. I think morning came; morning in a brand new very wet heaven.

Okay let’s go over this. What just happened? I think the waters were separated. Now, there’s the upper watery clouds and the lower watery, uh water. Maybe it was like parting the Red Sea, huh? Nah. That astrodome dome is still there, only it is way high above us now and getting higher. I’m so glad it’s daytime. Now we’re just kind of floating around inside this watery space called Sky. This is okay. At least it’s light out. Do you suppose we’ll catch a glimpse of God today? Oh, I really hope so. Actually, I would mind catching a glimpse of my hand again. You know when it starts to get dark again, that means another day is beginning. I hope it stays light for a very long time. I’m not sure that I can handle another day so soon. What about you? Well here comes the night again, a brand new day. Let’s go to sleep; only tonight you must try harder to sleep.

4. Land Hoe - Day 3 Tuesday

September 2008 – If you are visiting evangeline’s blog for the first time in September, you have arrived in the middle of a series about Creation week. Please start with Singing in the Dark. You’ll be glad you did. Peace.

Initiating the day with the darkness of evening, with rest and then sleep is beginning to make a lot of sense to me. Even back where we came from, everything starts in the darkness of ignorance or nothingness and from there develops. A seed goes into the dark earth, the painter’s canvas is blank, the infant mind is relatively hollow, the page is empty. Now we know first hand that it is from darkness and emptiness that our whole world was created. When I get back, I’m going to call the Daytimer people and tell them to reprint their daily planners to begin at 6 pm. Perhaps that will give mankind the perspective they desperately need to become more patient with themselves and with each other. We don’t start our days with school and work, work, work; we just go there after a nice evening meal, rejuvenating sleep and some prayer-time. Okay, enough wandering mind play. Have you seen anything new happening in this watery place lately? You have to admit that it’s terrific to have a sky at least. I thought I was going to drown for a while there. I didn’t want to worry you, but that watershed moment lasted a bit too long for me. Now I can breathe.

Wait a second, look! It’s like a big giant magnet is sucking up the water below. A sea again! Halleluiah, now things are starting to look familiar. Isn’t this exciting! The light is getting brighter. Okay now I think I am really seeing a miracle! Look down there; isn’t that dry land! How could anything become dry with all the water in the air and all around us? But sure enough, I see Earth! Oh lovely precious Mother Earth, I never thought I’d be so happy to see you again. Hey, stop hugging me so hard, you’re going to choke me! Okay, now crying will get us nowhere, just more water so stop it!

Don’t even blink! Look at what’s happening, the waters are swirling around the land mass and forming Seas. Now I think I’m going to cry; it’s the birth of the Atlantic Ocean over there, and the birth of the Pacific Ocean over there. Yep, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean check, check, check. Good, good, good. I don’t know what they are going to call them at first but this is coming together nicely, eh Sidekick? Fascinating! Oh man! I really want to pop this bubble right here and now. But the deal was that we stay till God pops the bubble. Good God, this is getting harder!

Oh, OH did you hear that? I think God is talking again. Shhh!! Listen. Who is He talking to? “Let the Earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bears fruit with the seed in it.”

Geesh, look! The Earth is doing it! I can’t even make my dog sit and here the Earth is popping trees and plants everywhere. They are pretty small, but hey--welcome life-form!

Ahhh little grassiness. I don’t remember having seen anything so lovely ever before. Little magenta mums and cheerful buttercups, hemlocks and dogwoods. Is that a cherry tree or a peach tree? Maybe it’s apple, what do I know. God-made orchards and vineyards, infant forests, tropical forests, it’s so glorious to behold. And to think: no pests or predators. No threats at all, just plants and trees. It almost makes me wonder why He doesn’t stop here and now. I don’t think I would mind spending a yearlong-today in this cramped bubble if only I could watch the vegetation grow in harmony with the sky and our warm sun-less daylight and our darker than dark nights. Speaking of dark nights. It looks like a new day is about to begin. I know that I won’t sleep tonight. I just want to hover over the brand new dry land and look at the fresh new trees and vegetables, flowers and fruit. This is amazing. Peace with new life. They don’t even seem to need the sun. How is this working? Are you writing my questions down? Right, no pencil.

5. Light Too - Day 4 Wednesday

September 2008 – If you are visiting evangeline’s blog for the first time in September, you have arrived in the middle of a series about Creation week. Please start with Singing in the Dark. You’ll be glad you did. Peace. 

You know, when it gets dark here, it gets perfectly dark. Black on black. No wonder light was the first thing God created. I wonder how long He actually put up with all that darkness and void before He couldn’t stand it any more. Why bother to create or do anything if there is no light for you or any spirit to see it in? Darkness hides, darkness hides the truth, darkness supports ignorance with its thick veil; it elevates feelings over knowledge.   I am afraid in the dark because I can’t see traps or attackers.   Darkness is horrible, even dreadful by its very nature. What good thrives in the dark, okay besides gestation? Are you poking me?   Are you one of those people who likes film noir? You know that’s another aspect of darkness, that’s about evil. It’s so easy for evil to strengthen in darkness. But even good spirits function in darkness. Isn’t that strange? Good spirits just trust God in spite of the blindness of darkness.

I wonder if light was God’s very good idea to quash evil, by the kind of awareness that only light can give. I think I am beginning to understand why God is creating this planet after all. I suspect that He wants a place where the war between good and evil spirits can be played out in the light of day, with beauty all around, with truth being a little more obvious than it could have ever been in that dark void of a few days ago and forever before that. That was scary, but now even when it is dark, knowing that light will come sustains me.

Yep, here we are sitting in pitch black trying to look out of our bubble at the earth which is there somewhere because I saw it when there was light and now, you could easily talk me into believing that it’s not there at all and that I never saw it. I despise darkness! What a liar it is! Anyway, what do you want to do until the light returns? I can’t sleep, I’m too upset. Do you want to play twenty questions? I’m thinking of a famous politician. Oh, YOU can sleep, huh. Fine go right ahead and leave me here all alone. Why did I bring you anyway? Good night and good riddance!

Wake up! Wake-up! Look, oh my God, I mean WOW! Do you see what I see? Is that actually the very first sun rise ever? I think I’m going to faint. I really can’t contain myself right now. It is stunning, I mean really stunning. Feel my pulse, am I still alive?

Wow, there it goes up up up in the sky, just like it’s suppose to. Now we can have real time, like hours and minutes. Oh sublime fascination, oh magnificence. No more wondering when the darkness is coming. Hey, listen, let’s sing the Star Spangled Banner in say an hour, okay? Ha-ha-ha-ha! I don’t think I have ever been so happy. Do you suppose we’ll tan in this bubble? I’ll bet the plants and trees will be glad; okay that’s taking it too far. Fine.

So what do you want to do today? Let’s ask for a good breeze to carry us around the world. We have this big beautiful planet here, with no animals or insects and most especially no other humans! How spectacular! How peaceful!   Let’s see how much ground we can cover before tomorrow. This is truly awesome!  

Wait a minute; I wonder what happened to the old light, it was so beautiful, actually more beautiful than this sunlight? Where did it go, and why wasn’t the sun created first to make the light ?   Oh yeah, there was no sky to put it in. Details details. Oh you think it was because the sun is fire and with all that water around, the sun could not have survived. Okay, I see, but why did God make the plants and trees that need the sun before He put the sun up in the sky? You think because this way you and I can see that it wasn’t the sun (as mighty and powerful and worshipped as it is) that created plant life, but that God did it. I think you may have a point there. People of the light should know how much greater God is than even the sun. Life can exist without the sun, but not without God. You and I are witnesses. Good point. How did you come up with that?

Do you suppose we will ever again be able to see the light that existed without the sun? It was so beautiful. Yes, you’re probably right, at the end of time. I think the last chapter said that on the second earth there won’t be any need for the sun because God will be its light. I also think it’s because there will be no more need for time. The whole point to the sun and moon was to regulate time anyway. How lucky that you and I are the only humans who have seen both kinds of light, or at least we have seen the sunless light first. Right, except for Jesus. Hey, where is He anyway? I haven’t seen Him. You’d think He would stop by to visit us since we know He has been here all along.   Oh well, I guess He is busy. Maybe it’s because He hasn’t been born as a person yet, so He doesn’t have a body.   Wait a minute!   MAYBE Jesus was the light that came before the sun! Okay, too esoteric for you. Let’s get going on the trip before it’s too late. Come on bubble giddy-up.

Let’s not go over the Pacific, that would take all day. I want to see as much land as I can before the sun sets. Let’s see how fast we can cross the Atlantic and check out Europe. I’d love to see Rome and Paris without architecture. Our friends will never believe us. Who cares?

This bubble isn’t moving fast enough for me, the day is going so fast and there is so much to see.   Do you think that today has gone by faster because of time, or no? It looks like it’s been about 10 hours since the sun first rose, but it feels like about two hours. We don’t have much time left.   Oh look, I see the moon over there, behind you! Turn around! Look. Well, I was expecting this one. My dear friend I believe this gives a whole new meaning to the term, ‘new moon’! The stars should be exquisite tonight. Do you suppose we could ask God to stop time for a while so we can relish more in this day. After-all who would care, the day lilies?

6. First Eyes - Day 5 Thursday

September 2008 – If you are visiting evangeline’s blog for the first time in September, you have arrived in the middle of a series about Creation week. Please start with Singing in the Dark. You’ll be glad you did. Peace.  

Are we going to sleep today? I suppose sleep is a really good use for all this darkness; stop thinking, seeing, and talking, start renewing and healing, and sometimes you get free personal movies. I’m sure you couldn’t get anyone to sit still for about six hours for a tune-up unless you knocked them out. Good thinking God.  

Hey pal, can you move over about six inches; I think I’m getting a charley-horse in my foot. Ouch ouch . Here it comes! Rub it for me will you? Harder OUCH!!!  That really hurts! Wait, let me try shaking it. Okay okay, I won’t shake it, just rub it as hard as you can. Ohhhh I think it’s starting to go away. Whew, what would I do without you? Thanks for coming. I really am sorry I didn’t tell you that we were going to chaos. I was afraid you wouldn’t come with me. Chaos didn’t last very long. It’s been worth it, hasn’t it? You know this journey has done wonders for you. You look so much younger. I’m not just saying that. Sorry we never made it across the Atlantic yesterday. I don’t know what made me think a bubble was going to cross the ocean in the few hours we had. But something tells me that this is where the show is going to be today anyway.

We-e-ell-come Moby Dick! Look down there! A whale just appeared and over there that school of dolphins! Look at them playing in the sea. Boy do they look like they’re having fun. I can only imagine (or remember) all that is suddenly going on in that sea down there. It makes perfect sense that the sea, which came first, would be the first to get the life form with eyes as contrasted to all that vegetation. I wonder which was the very first creature to have eyes and what that creature saw.  

Look, a seagull! Halleluiah, here come the air corps! What’s wrong; you look so pale. Don’t be ridiculous, you think we can be in serious trouble. You’re afraid that one of these new birds may pay us a visit and accidentally bursts our bubble…over the ocean? All of a sudden you’re feeling threatened by a bird when we have survived so much. Okay, okay, calm down.   You’re clearly over-reacting AGAIN! Now who’s shaking this bubble too much? Listen to me. If there is anything we should have learned by now it is to trust God. I know; it’s easy to trust God when so many other living things aren’t around whose wills may not be as compassionate about your safety and welfare. You’re suddenly triangulating, eh? One on one you and God are tight, but when a third comes into the picture all hell suddenly breaks lose. Suddenly God disappears and it’s just you and your enemy.

I beg to disagree with you my friend. I suspect that the same God who you heard with your very own ears introduce light to darkness, and who pushed water around the heavens and the earth like He was playing with a magnet has it all under control. Well, maybe control was not the right word. It’s pretty obvious that every natural thing is carefully being placed on autopilot. Seeds multiplying trees and plants, fish and birds, sun and moon taking turns. You know that bellow we keep hearing…good, good, good? It’s all good!

I’m sure between popping out sea and air creatures, He is keeping an eye on this weird little of bubble of time travelers…wow! It just occurred to me that I can see you and my hands and my feet. When did that happen? I figured that we wouldn’t reappear until humans were created. So I got used to being invisible. Did you notice when our bodies reappeared? Was it before the sunrise? No? Well, how about yesterday? I know we spent a lot of time looking out. Do you remember seeing me then? Me neither. It must have been this morning. Maybe you and I were the first visible animals with eyes. And maybe my cramp was given to remind me that I had a body.

Good news. You see, if you believe that He won’t protect you, then you’re right, and if you believe that He will protect you then you’re right! I am sure that a bird will not burst our bubble over the ocean because He told me that He will burst our bubble when He is ready, and I know that He would not have shown us all this just to waste this experience in the ocean. More than anything else, God is logical! So the birds are not our enemies, even though they have the potential to destroy us because God has other plans for me and YOU!

Now that you are visible you have a lot more to learn about the invisible, my friend. When we were invisible did we care any less or any differently about each other? Were we different people? No! Our eyes, whether to be seen or to see with are made as companions for the light. Eyes and light are like keys and locks, each is useless alone. Not just your beautiful blue eyes and the sun light, but your inner eyes and the first light we saw. Mankind hadn’t been created when only that light and not the light from the sun illuminated our planet; perhaps that’s why so few people understand light. How would they know about the first light unless they learned how to use their inner eyes? When we were invisible, we were using our inner eyes. Inner eyes see life differently because they don't need the sun I suppose. Remember the Book said, “in God was life, and the life was the light of men.” That light he was talking about was not sunlight; it was that first light. 

Our life is a kind of light and our inner eyes see that light and make us aware that we don’t ever have to live in darkness. The control God has is the control of steering us with Him. He isn’t controlling you or the birds; as long as you can see Him with your inner eyes, He guides you through the threats from all the third parties. You and I are delivered from all wrath, danger, and necessity almost as Fed-ex takes a letter away from point A and to point B. Special delivery! 

Did you see how close that pelican got! Ha-ha-ha! Scared you! Come on, grow up! Enjoy this world before horses, bears and humans come along. After all, this is our last abnormal day. What do you want to do tonight? Ah! being the only human beings, in fact the only animal life, is so peaceful. How can we make that sun go away and the other light return so we can live in timelessness? I wish this day would never end. Yes, I’m exaggerating. You want to know how long those two days were before the sun rose? I have no idea, no watch remember. Let’s just be quiet and soak in the view. 

7. Zoo and Adam - Day 6 Friday

September 2008 – If you are visiting evangeline’s blog for the first time in September, you have arrived towards the end of a series about Creation week. Please start with Singing in the Dark. You’ll be glad you did. Peace.

Hello, bubble pal. Evening is upon us once again, and with it a new day. God will probably pull an all-nighter, especially today. Obviously, He doesn’t need the tune up. But, where does He get all that energy? Maybe He eats wind and takes hydrogen baths? Just kidding. True, we can’t know everything; a world without mysteries would be boring: what a thrill we get separating true mysteries from latent discoveries! Yet, how I will miss the simplicity of this glorious week. You too? yeah…

I know I won’t be sleeping tonight, T-G-I-F, it’s almost over. Ahhhh the grand finale. I want to be awake for every last minute. What a week!! I can’t wait to go back to the twenty-first century and tell everyone. What do you mean no one will believe me? I saw it with my very own eyes! They must believe me. I should have brought a camera.

See how peaceful the earth is without creatures and humans, and absolutely poop-free! Funny how we call this planet ‘earth’ when only a small part of it is earthy-soil. Imagine how much more intense the planet would be had 2/3 been land and only 1/3 water. Perish the thought! How about this one? If God made humans into sea creatures instead of land-lubbers, we would probably call the planet Oceanus. Why aren’t you laughing?

Look! Now this is different. Do you see what I see? It’s so dark that I can barely make it out, but I believe that animals are emerging from the earth! Do we actually see the earth giving birth to squirrels and frogs? True, there are a limited number of elements from which everything is created and they are all in the earth. What a palette. How ingenious! From earth and water emerge absolutely everything by a different composition of elements. Look a baby zebra chasing a baby monkey, and over there: a herd of sheep! Let the games begin! They are so young and so new!

I’m sure that if I weren’t seeing the beginning with my own eyes I too would not believe that our earth and its abundant life came into being by verbal command. And yet creation has been so spontaneous and so orderly. How else could the millions of different life forms exist except by the design of a creative super-genius? You might be able to talk me into a monkey becoming a man, but what was a caterpillar first and why don’t larvae turn into birds instead of butterflies? Good going God! What did You say? Can you repeat that please? Sir?

“Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our Likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

Hey bubble pal, did you hear that? No, I don’t mean all the animal sounds. I mean did you hear God say ‘Us’. All week we have been looking for God and have not seen Him, but every day we hear Him. “Good, good, good.” Now He says Us. Who is ‘Us’? I thought there was only one God. What did you say? Yes, He is the God of spirits and of all flesh. So you think that the voice we have been hearing came from the leader of spirits that existed in the darkness doing whatever spirits did before God decided to create light and this time-laden planet. Yes, of course, before light and darkness took turns, there was no time, just like in the future when there will only be light and no darkness and, right! No time, hence immortality! Spirits existed before time and spirits will exist after time.

Now I wish we had started this journey before day one. Ha-ha-ha, yeah, you got me, ‘before time’ is an oxymoron! I’m serious though; what was in chaos? Try to remember what it was like. It was dark and windy and watery. But now we are told that the image and likeness of God was there in more than one spirit. Is He the God of many spirits like He became the God of humans? Yes? How can you be so sure?

Okay smarty-pants, then tell me why He wants help to make humans when He didn’t get help with anything else? Forget it. I really hope we will see Him soon. If He made humans in His image and likeness, I suppose He will look human. Hey, don’t call me stupid! I really resent that! You apologize right now! …forgiven. Now tell me what’s wrong with me looking to see God? I thought you were looking for Him too.

Okay, don’t answer that; let me guess what you will say. We will never see God with our eyes because He is spirit. A god you can see with your eyes is called an Eyedol, I mean idol ha-ha. Okay, He has to be spirit to be as omnipotent as He is. As a spirit He can eve dwell within hearts, even lots of hearts at the same time, while still being distinct, superior and autonomous. If anyone could see God what that person sees is limited. That’s the problem so many people have with Jesus. They think the notion that God became a man is blasphemous not to mention impossible because God is unlimited. And yet He made humankind in ‘Their’ image and likeness. The only way we could ever see God with our physical eyes is through a physical person who maintains pure image and likeness. Voila, Jesus who demonstrated the power of God and the love of God like no one else before or after Him! Jesus didn't tell people to worship Him as God only to follow Him to see God within Him. That's why He told people that the perfect prayer starts with "Our father." Jesus isn't an eyedol, He is the perfect son of God. Much better than Adam. And now for the down side: since we entered time Jesus hasn’t been born yet so we had better stop looking for God with our eyes. And that’s why you called me stupid for looking for God with my eyes. How did I do?

Okay, your turn. I hear you…go for it! The image, that God created humans to be, is the kind of image that resides ahhh …in the imagination. Good! But wouldn’t that make God unreal? Now who is being stupid? Don’t you know that the word image means something tangible and imagination is a fantasy? Oh, you think that when we heard God speak, we ‘saw’ Him with our imaginations. That’s the part of us that thinks; it is our inner eye. I know, I know! It’s the same inner eye that saw the light that came before the sun, the inner eye we were talking about yesterday. His image and likeness is not physical, not even in Jesus. That makes sense…keep going. His image, the one He transmitted to humans is spiritual. I don’t understand at all, now you lost me again. What exactly is that image?

I want to understand you so speak slowly. You and me in this bubble saw the words of God make everything, even the sky and moon pop-up. The image of God thinks and speaks. It creates and makes. How un-animal! Yes, I’m beginning to get it. All of humankind thinks and speaks because we are made in the image of a spirit that thinks and speaks. We share a powerful imagination!

Good job, now for His likeness. Let me try this one: God’s likeness is what He likes. He made humans to like the same things He likes: beauty, love, truth, loyalty, trust, peace, the complex, et cetera. God and all those spirits who share his image and likeness get along real well because they like the same things and they have powerful, likeable imaginations. How was that, do you agree?

Okay, let’s stop jabbering I think it is Adam-baby’s birthday time. I’m so glad the sun is rising. We didn’t get a minute of sleep, but I’m not even tired, are you? Look over there, on your right! Is that a porcelain sculpture being formed, or is that marble? I know it’s from the earth. Amazing! Oh my, he looks like Michelangelo’s David. How exquisite! Whoa! Feel that wind! Geesh I feel like a leaf in a tornado! Okay, not that bad! We’re going in circles around the statue. He is so beautiful; see the marble gradually yielding to flesh. Did you see his mouth open just then and his nostrils flare? Adam is coming to life! Ya know, it just occurred to me that perhaps we refer to God as a man because He first created Adam, the man. God was the progenitor who created the male progenitor. Men initiate birth. I miss my dad all of a sudden. Boohoo.

Now what’s happening? It looks like Adam is flying and our bubble is accompanying him eastward. Where are we going? Hey, where did this place come from and why didn’t we see it before? This must be the famous Garden of Eden. Who is Eden? Uhhh, maybe another spirit. Well, she certainly has a lovely garden. There’s the river with four branches and there are a lot of trees, but two should stand out. Let’s see who spots them first, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam just landed, good. Whew! Do you suppose he sees us? Let’s hide.

Oh, I think I know now which one is the good and evil tree because I see Adam walking over to it. Interesting looking tree. I don’t think I have ever seen such a fruit-heavy tree in my life? I still don’t see God but Adam seems to be able to hear Him. Look at him staring at the tree. Boy, doesn’t he look confused? That didn’t last long; there he goes. Watch him run around! Makes me want to stretch my legs, oh I hope I don’t get another cramp. I wish we could pop out and be with him. You know I’m getting hungry; Look at him scarfing down that fruit. I could use some of those figs and strawberries about now. Now what is he eating? This guy looks like he is starving. Oh, oh. Sleepy time. I know what’s happening now! Adam’s out like a light! Yuck, blood Oh man, I’ll bet that hurt!

There goes the rib. Hello, Evie! Isn’t she a beauty? She is sitting beside him, waiting for him to wake up. Isn’t that sweet?

And here comes the sun set. Hope Adam wakes up in time to see his mail order bride before their wedding night begins. Has this day been longer, or does it just seem that way because it has been so bewildering? I feel like a wet rag; it hasn’t felt this intense and personal to me since Day One. I don’t know about you but I am ready for that day of rest. Good night bubblepal, don’t wake me up tomorrow. I’m sleeping in. Okay, hugs. Nite.

8. Sabbath Shalom - Day 7 Saturday

This entry is part of a series on Creation week that began in early September.

Good morning! I feel great! Do you have any idea what time it is? I feel like I’ve been sleeping for a week. What a lovely day! Everything is in place, except us of course. Sun, moon, earth, fish, whales, trees, zebras, and dogs; life is on auto-pilot. I wonder what God is going to do on His day off? More importantly, what has He planned for tomorrow? Oh well, I suppose that as long as we are still here, He must want us to find out. Have you seen Adam or Eve yet? Oh yeah, I see them over there talking to each other, lots of hand motions. What language are they speaking…uh and how did they learn it? It sounds like the same language God was speaking when He made this planet. Don’t they look content, positively carefree?

So, what do you want to do today? I don’t think we should travel much. We need to stick near the dynamic duo here. Tell me a story. Okay, I’ll tell you one. Once upon a time, God made the world and Adam and Eve. He told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and they didn’t so they lived happily ever after. End of story. Boring? I suppose I wouldn’t mind not knowing ‘evil’ but I’d hate to not know ‘good’. What must that be like?

Hey, we just happen to be in a position to find out! Let’s take a close look at this world without human knowledge of good and evil. I don’t see anything unusual, do you? Do good and evil not exist here? Oh, you say no, you think that the people just aren’t aware of it. True because we know that the serpent is coming and we see all the beauty. Let’s think; all it said in the Book was that when they didn’t know good and evil they didn’t feel ashamed of their nakedness. What an odd thing. To be self conscious is evidence of knowing good and evil. Yeah, that makes sense. Self centeredness is the fountain of both good and evil, of shame and of hubris, especially of pride. Do you really think it is possible for a person to not feel like the center of their own world? The most stable and content people I know make others, even God Himself the central focus of their existence. They can’t be miserable or even angry because they don’t think too much about how they feel anyway! The sweet life of love, when beauty is found in ‘otherness’. Did I just make up a word?

Oh, why do we have to think so hard today. Come on let’s rest too. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We may even have our bubble burst, who knows. Let’s try real hard not to think at all today. Let’s just only use eyes, ears, and noses, NO MINDS. Okay? Can you do that? Sing to me.

9. Sweet and Sour Dreams

This entry is part of a series on Creation Week that began in September. Read it and leap!

Wake up! Wake-up! Gee, are you going to sleep all day bubblepal? Can you hear me? Helooo, up and atem! Rise and shine! Yes, it’s still me and yes, we’re still in the bubble. What were you dreaming? You were sleeping so heavily, I thought you’d never wake up. I would have let you keep sleeping, but every time you turned, you would stretch and whack me! There’s only so much I can take. I don’t want to go home all black and blue, I’ll have enough to explain as it is. 

So what were you dreaming? I heard you calling for your mother; you sounded pretty frantic for a while there too. Did you feel me hugging you? Well I did, a lot! Because whenever I hugged you, you seemed to calm down. Are you okay now? Don’t remember a thing? Well, I suppose that’s just as well.

I had a really weird dream, wanna hear? Oh, everything is fine out there. I’ve been up for a little while and nothing unusual is happening yet. Come on, listen to my dream before I forget it. I dreamt that we were still in the bubble but we were floating way up over the earth so we couldn’t even see the earth any more. Everything was bright and warm, just like on Day 1. Suddenly our bubble popped, just like a soapy bubble without a sound. But we didn’t fall. We were so happy to be out of the bubble that we jumped up and down and sang real loud, and you hugged me so hard that I thought I would stop breathing. I looked up and around  and I could see that we were standing on a broad and very deep white marble step. I mean it was very deep, around 25 feet or 7 and ½ meters deep.  

Suddenly, animals appeared on the step. They were all white animals. There was a lamb, and a white hen, and a white horse, and a white dove. More and more white animals showed up until you said that you wanted us to go to the next step to get away from all the animals before they crushed us. The next step wasn’t too high up but you needed a lift and then you pulled me up. The second step had a few animals, still white ones but it seemed that they were the smarter animals that were the most compatible with people. There was a white dog and a white horse and a white monkey. When we first arrived on the second step it was empty but then some people appeared. They were very argumentative though. They were arguing with each other, and this one very small person tried to pick a fight with you. He said that you were lying about something, I don’t even remember what, but he was making you pretty angry. Then more and more arguing people showed up and we decided to go to the next step where we could get away from those lying hateful people.

It was very difficult to get up to the next step for two reasons. First it was so high that we couldn’t even boost each other up there and secondly, it was so bright that it was hard to see where to grab hold. But we didn’t have a choice. The only way that we could escape the war on the second step was to go up. You told me to talk to God with you about the problem. We then begged God to help us escape to the next step. We closed our eyes so we could concentrate, and then we held our ears real tight to block all the fighting-sounds going on. We tried several times to elevate ourselves by jumping with our eyes and ears shut but it didn’t work. We began to despair and hunkered down together, but that made a couple of guys come over and hit us. We knew, somehow that if we hit them back, we would be doomed forever to stay on the fighting step so we held hands, both of them so no one could separate us and we just crouched there and let them pound us and we didn’t talk, or yell and we kept our eyes closed. I think we prayed for them to feel less angry and we kind of played dead. After a while we suddenly found ourselves on the next step! It was like when we wake up in this bubble. I’m not sure how we got there. We were so very relieved and so happy that we thanked God and told Him that we would do anything He wanted.

This step was so much higher that we could barely hear the noise on the step below. But we could hear it, so we asked God to tell us what to do to help those people stop arguing. From our step they looked like they were in a deep fog so that each person was in his or her own dirty bubble-cloud and they couldn’t even really see each other, they could just yell at each other. God told us that their problem was that they were stuck between being too much like the animals and not enough like Him, so they were only able to see with their eyes, which was really like being blind because they didn’t have enough information by just using their eyes and lower physical minds.

You're not going to believe this. Wait a second it was a dream so there's nothing to believe. All of a sudden Plato walks over to us and introduces himself. And we can understand him! Then one by one all of these great intellectuals greet us too. They seem to want to know what you and me are doing on this step. We met Kant and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and even Thomas Jefferson was there. It was so cool! They were milling around, sitting at tables and talking to each other. I could hear a little of the conversations and it sounded fascinating. I wanted to join in but felt too awkward, like I would say something really dum. After some time went by all of the talking blended into one dull roar. The sound grew more and more dense and louder and louder. It was hurting my ears. It was hurting your ears too so you grabbed me and pulled me to the corner of the step. We hugged real tight and asked to be free of all the loud talk. Then a white cord appeared. I tied a big knot at the bottom and tried to climb up. It was very hard to do. I kept slipping, but I made it and so did you.

A quiet peaceful man in white greeted us on the next step. It seemed like he was waiting for us. He told us that this was a much quieter step and that we would enjoy it here. These people all try to keep quiet in case God wanted to speak to them. He explained that now we were more like pure souls than bodies and so it was easier to hear God guide us and talk to us. Only it wasn’t that easy to hear Him talk. More people showed up on this step, and we were actually glad to see them. They all seemed rather serene. God was not on this step, we could tell that, we couldn’t see Him, but we could hear Him talking to us from the higher step. The peaceful man in white was right, it was hard to hear God talk, but not impossible. God wasn't as loud as He had been all last week. I heard Him say to me, almost in a whisper, "We love, we are one."

You told me to look up and I did but the white marble wall was so high that we needed to be able to fly to get up to God’s step and we couldn’t fly. We still had bodies and we didn’t have wings. You know I think I dreamt that Adam and Eve were on our step and that they could go to the higher step if they wanted. Anyway, you and I were talking about how to get to the next step when that first man in white overheard us. He knew that we were newcomers so he told us that no way could we get there. That was the step of the spirits, souls who were completely willing to let go and blend with Godness. It could only be accessed by invitation. He said that sometimes people on this step would be invited for a short while but they almost always came back. He didn’t seem to be angry with us for trying to get there. He said that every soul/person on this step  wants to be on God's step. Sometimes there were gatherings, he said, of the people who had been there, some more than once and they tell us about it. He said that he would invite us to the next meeting, if we hadn’t fallen back to the lower step by then. That happens a lot. Then I was awoken by another one of your whacks and by you crying for your mother. Cool dream huh, I wonder what it means?

I feel great though, don’t you? Look, there’s the dynamic duo. What a lovely couple, they look so radiant and so happy. Look at how affectionately Eve is playing with those little puppies and lambs. Adam over there looks like he is taking his job pretty seriously, naming the animals and ordering them, a real zoologist at heart. The really interesting thing is how obedient the animals are to him. The first lady and the first man seem so wise next to all the animals and yet they are so innocent.

You know, I’m not quite sure, but I have a feeling that we have gone forward in time again. Maybe we slept for a year, or maybe a hundred years. Who knows? All I know is that Adam and Eve are still naked and happy, and we are still in this bubble waiting for a talking serpent to come on the scene. 

10. Achoo!

This entry is the last of a series on Creation Week that began in September. Read it and leap!

Achoo. Bless you. Thank-you. Hey where did that come from? I don’t know. Well how could you catch a cold in here after all this time? I just don’t know where these germs came from! So sue me! Well, please cover your mouth when you sneeze. As if I could escape your germs in this bubble. Wow! Look down there, do I see Adam walking on top of that lake! Doesn’t he even know he could drown? Geez!

 Yeah, and look at Evie. Look at all the animals around her coming to be healed. I see a limping giraffe and what is that? That goat just knocked into a tree. Maybe it is blind. Amazing. Is she talking to those animals as if they were her children? Doesn’t she look like little miss Saint Francis of Assisi over there? I think she can even understand the animals as if they are speaking to her. Will wonders ever cease!

You know what makes me really nervous? No, what? Look at the tree she’s sitting under. So what? Isn’t that the good and evil tree? Oh dear I think you’re right. I don’t understand how a tree could produce fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. It looks like a regular fruit tree to me. It could be cherries, or figs.

Maybe it’s like a psychedelic fruit, like a magic mushroom or marihuana. This won’t be the first time that eating something from nature produced a mind altering or poisonous effect. I suppose you’re right. But, why good and evil together? What’s so bad about knowing good that would kill these two? And what’s so bad about wanting to be wise?

Hey, let’s play Stump the Chump!

Can I just tell you how sick I am of you teasing me and demeaning me!

Oh, I’m sorry, can’t you take a joke? Mmmmmaybe not. Do you want to know what I think or not? Just ask me and I’ll tell you.

Evil cannot exist by itself. Never, no place, no way. Evil is like a virus or a parasite. It has to feed off of good. Just like that germy cold of yours. It’s the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because there could not be evil if there wasn’t good. Evil destroys good; it doesn’t create anything. Think of something evil: murder. Takes away life. Hatred: eats away love. Lying: corrupts truth. Everything God made was good. He said so Himself. He didn’t make evil.

Then where did evil come from? Was it a spontaneous combustion? And why did it happen just when these two eat the fruit of that tree. I am so confused! All of this seems absurd!

Calm down, and open your mind. Stop talking and think for a minute. And if you can’t think, then remember; observe what we just experienced again in your mind. Pay attention this time. We were so caught up in the moment that we weren’t aware of all that was happening. God lived in darkness and void. Was that a bad place, nope because God lived there and He is good, so the darkness could not have been evil. But when God created light something really very powerful happened!

Wait, let me guess. He could see! Haha.

Yes, you’re cute. But more than that, keep going. Even though light is good and wonderful, it formed anti-darkness. Opposition. Light and darkness make up time, but they also make up dissimilarity.

Yeah, I get it! Maybe when light came along, there were spirits who existed before time, who weren’t crazy about the idea of light. They opposed this whole light creation scheme, so they opposed God. I think I’m beginning to understand! But still, why did eating the fruit make evil appear?

It didn’t! Eating the fruit didn’t make evil appear. It made opposing God appear in humankind. Ahaa! Eh?

Not yet. Why did Adam and Eve have to die? Just because they ate the fruit because they wanted to be as wise as God? Don’t you think that punishment is a little harsh? No, a lot harsh!

My friend, how long will I have to put up with you?

Stop that, you pompous ass!

Okay, okay. God is good. God created life, He is the source of life. Are you with me?

Yes.

To be with God, remember His image and likeness is all good! It’s life! To oppose life is… come on, your turn.

Duh, death!

Righteo! Eating the fruit was not punishment for disobedience as much as it caused opposition and distrust which naturally resulted in the separation from life (God) which is voila! …deatherino! Eve and then Adam are about to eat the good eating virus of evil which will infect them. Forever they will be able to oppose life. God didn’t want that to happen, but He knew it would. He’s no dummy.

That’s why when we get to the land of immortality God’s plan will finally be realized, because there will only be light, no darkness, and most importantly there will be no opposition to good, no viruses, no parasites, no illness or disease, only similarity to God!

United we stand, eh pal!

Look at that walking pencil talking to Evie! Wait! That’s no walking pencil, it’s the serpent telling her not to trust God. There she goes! Chomp chomp. Okay Adam, your turn. No argument, no hesitation. Jerk. Naturally, he agrees that God doesn’t know what’s good for him. Hahaha psychedelic fruit. They look so funny clutching their genitals. Shhh, stop laughing. Here comes God. Oh, did you feel that wonderful evening breeze! Great, it’s taking us closer to the scene. Does God look angry?

Nah, He expected it. He just wants to hear what they’ll say. Haha Adam and Eve are trying to hide. Good luck chumps!

“Adam, where are you?”

“Hello God, I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat?”

Adam said, “The woman that You gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit from the tree and I ate. (But it was your fault because You gave her to me, and it was her fault because it was her idea. I am just an innocent bystander here.)”  

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

Oh, I think I’m going to throw up. How pathetic. If they just didn’t try to blame God and that walking pencil I wonder if they could have reunited with God right away. Of course not, they are humans. They need to learn the long hard way.

Come on bubblepal, we have got to get out of here, these two are making me sick.   Let’s go over to the ocean. Okay now, deep breath, BLOW!