The Starting Point

There's gridlock on the information highway, and it's easy to get stuck in the traffic jam.

Every day confronts us with a hodge-podge of disconnected data, each part bearing little or no connection to the rest. Like life itself, the evening news is filled with a random array of the appealing and the appalling.

"It was another dark day for American soldiers in the Middle East," the anchorman announces in somber tones. Then shortly after describing a roadside bombing in Iraq, he jokes with the sports reporter and banters about the weather with the local meteorologist.

The strange mix of stories blends the noble and the knuckleheaded. In a 10-minute newscast you can hear about:

political scandals in Washington, D.C. . . .

what Drew Barrymore wore to the Oscars . . .

the debate about global warming . . .

the latest in hair-transplants . . .

a lady who housed 50 dogs in her urban home . . .

how to treat prostate cancer . . .

who got voted off American Idol . . .

evidence that chocolate is good for you.

In this mixed up, hyped up, divided up world, how can we make sense of it all? How can we separate truth from trivia? Is there a unifying principle that pulls everything together?

Here's one: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). And here's another: "So God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). The Bible's opening verses are the starting-point for a consistent and rational worldview.

Believing Genesis is true, we understand that the material universe is not eternal; God is. Society alone does not determine our worth; God does. "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command" (Hebrews 11:3).

Believing Genesis is true, we understand that human beings are not accidents of nature but unique creations of God. Life may seem crazy and chaotic, but it's not just a meaningless collection of random events. There's dignity, purpose, and glory to it all.

Believing Genesis is true, we are realistic about suffering, sorrow, and death. We see why there is natural law, and why the natural order has been disrupted by sin.

Believing Genesis is true, we recognize the joys and hazards of personal relationships. We know the origin of marriage, sexuality, and the family. In the Bible's opening chapters we see human tragedy; we see glimmers of hope; and if we look closely we also see ourselves. In the stories of Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau we see reflections of our own jealousy and anger. Abraham and Sarah teach us how to live by faith. The account of Ishmael and Isaac sheds light on political tensions in the Middle East. The life of Joseph teaches us about courage, forgiveness, and the providence of God.

The whole Bible flows from the book of beginnings, a river of truth that finds its source in the heart of God.

Francis Schaeffer said, "Every man is in tension until he finds a satisfactory answer to the problem of who he himself is." To survive in a depersonalizing culture filled with disconnected and conflicting messages, we need a consistent worldview. We need a unifying principle to pull things together—a moral compass to guide and direct us—a way to see ourselves as valuable persons created in the image of a personal God.

The opening pages of the Bible are a great place to start. Because if we know where we came from, we also can know where we're going.