Show Me The Baby

My Musings – “Don’t tell me about the labor pains—show me the baby!” (from “Thank God It’s Monday,” by Roxanne Emmerich). People do not go to the hospital nursery to hear about the labor pains. They go to see the baby. When our young children ask us that inevitable question, “where do babies come from?” we do not launch into a lengthy discussion about sexual intimacy and biology. We simply say something to the effect, “when a man and woman love each other very much, they decide to get married and have a baby…” That’s pretty much all that most young minds can handle. And for the most part, they are satisfied with that simple explanation.

The rest of the discussion will happen later on, but even then will most likely not get into anything more than the basics. But just because it is explained in not so scientific terms, or in very basic scientific terms, does not mean its unscientific. There is, in fact, a lot of detailed scientific “things” underlying the simple act of intimacy, but most people just want to know about the baby, not the “labor pains.”

The account of creation that is recorded in the book of Genesis is, for the most part, related in very simple terms that don’t necessarily sound very scientific, but convey very profound truths about what happened. “In the beginning [lot of science behind this that we will probably never fully understand] God [the “scientist”], created [a lot of “labor pains” packed into that one word, that God chose not to expound upon] the heavens and the earth [the “baby”].” (Genesis 1:1, NIV 1984). “And God said, ‘Let there be [that’s all you really need to know for now]…’ ” (Genesis 1:3, etc., NIV 1984).

Genesis was not written as a science textbook. Mankind’s knowledge had not advanced enough to comprehend (and it may never be) a detailed account of the science behind God’s spoken word. What was written, was all that our young mind’s could handle at the time. Even today, with the advancement in technology and knowledge, it really is all that we need to know. But we are an inquisitive lot. Nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is for us to conclude that our scientific knowledge surpasses the Creator’s just because He recorded it so that even the simplest of minds could comprehend. That does not make the Genesis account wrong. It’s just omitting a discussion about the “labor pains” and is showing us the “baby.” Incidentally, it also does not necessarily mean that our so-called scientific explanations on the origins of the universe and our existence are on the money.

My Advice – Don’t throw out the “baby” with the bath water. God has told us all that we really need to know. Anything we come up with to “fill in the blanks” is not Gospel. If what we fill in the blanks with leads us away from God and His Word, it is highly suspect. “But if [believing God’s Word] seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day [what you will believe]. But as for me and my household, we will [believe] the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15, NIV 1984).