Confronting chaos is a battle Christians have waged for centuries

Even though the politics of Washington, D.C., have quieted a bit, behind the scenes and lurking around every corner is chaos. The United States will now lurch forward, but in the process, chaos will remain the context of American life. As a Christian, the phenomenon of chaos is not new to me or of particular concern. What is happening in Washington should not result in sleepless nights or the wringing of hands. Chaos has always been with the human family and will continue to challenge us for as long as history marches on. What should Christians do about chaos?

In the Biblical writings, we first encounter chaos in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. Chaos is an acceptable meaning of “without form and void.” In other words, God took note of chaos. The world was not functioning well. What follows in the Genesis One narrative is a beautiful description of the activities of the Israelite God when faced with chaos.

The roots of Israelite beliefs and understandings are found in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and its central city, Babylon. Babylonia, the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was the home of Abraham. Abraham, according to Bible tradition, is the fountainhead of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. According to the Genesis account about Abraham, he was called by God to start a new clan through which God would bless the whole world.

When Abraham started out on his adventure with his God, he left Babylonia. When he left Babylonia, inescapably he took Babylonian culture with him. A careful examination of the development of Judaism finds the influence of Babylonia in almost every story and on every page. Babylonian culture and myths are a major part of the context in which we must study the history and theology of the Israelites.

Several centuries after Abraham left Babylon, a small group of the descendants of Abraham found themselves back in Babylon as a defeated clan that was faced with a huge dilemma. Should they submit to assimilation or develop a quiet resistance. They chose the path of resistance and the seeds of modern Jewry were planted. They chose to confront the Babylonian mythology Abraham had left hundreds of years earlier.

Babylonian mythology was obsessed with what to do about chaos. At the beginning of each year the Babylonians had their most significant cultural celebration. In the celebration, Marduk, the chief of their gods, fought a battle with Tiamat, the goddess of chaos. Marduk was a warrior God. Each year Marduk battled Tiamat for 14 days. He always won. His place as the chief deity of Babylon was secure. However, the victory was always temporary. Tiamat returned each year and the epic battle was fought once more. Chaos never went away.

The creation myth that we now read in the first chapter of Genesis is the Israelite answer to the Marduk/Tiamat myth that held sway in Babylon for many centuries. The Genesis creation story tells about the Israelite God’s working not against chaos, but working his good in the midst of the chaos. Marduk was a warrior god. The Israelite God was not. The Israelite God was a doer of good.

Today, many Christians have made Genesis One a battleground about creation ex nihilo (all things out of nothing). In truth, the Genesis One creation account is irrelevant to discussions about intelligent design and creation science. Genesis One is not a scientific statement of any kind. In critical studies of the Bible, interpreters are not allowed to tear a passage away from its original intended meaning. The Genesis creation story predates the debates about the beginnings of matter by hundreds of years. In simple words, the Genesis creation myth is about new beginnings through the doing of good, not about the beginning, historic or scientific.

This understanding of the Genesis One creation myth has inspired me to live life in a different way. No longer do I see chaos as an enemy. It is simply a reality of life. Chaos can be my best friend. I see its positive benefits. Chaos multiplies possibilities and opportunities. Chaos gives me endless opportunities to do good, and I am no longer tempted to fight chaos. A life spent fighting chaos is a life wasted. Chaos provides a context for a diversity, which can provide stability. I never pray to be delivered from chaos. I welcome the differing opinion. Differing opinions refine. They do not corrupt. Chaos never has a dull or uninteresting moment. Life will never be boring. There is always another good to be done.

I am not discouraged about the future of America. Adversarial politics will continue. Our radios, television sets and computer screens will continue to be filled with widely differing opinions. Immigrants will continue challenging our existing cultures. The Chicago Cubs may not win the World Series in the near future. But then again, they might.

I am most concerned that Christians take the opportunities to do good in the midst of the chaos that surrounds us. The chaos in Washington is not tragedy. It is opportunity.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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