Science in Christian Perspective

IN THE BEGINNING.
Valerie L. Mossman 
Gordon College Wenham, Massachusetts

From: JASA 29 (June 1977): 49-51.

I
In the end Man created the heaven and earth, 
For the spirit of God was asleep in the void;
There was nothing awake to put life in the deep 
Until oceans and chemists began to conceive. 
And the day came to pass, through the workings of years,
That the waters were fruitful with algae and slime. 
Man pondered creation, and knew it was good, 
Though the process had barely begun to produce 
Every animal and plant that he knew would result. 
So Man let the years pass.

He remembered a god 
He'd known living in darkness before earth became 
More than chaos, before life was made for the void; 
He decided to seek him, and give him a name
The one Man knew best, and none else but his own. 
Thus the god Man created was made in Man's image, 
Most immanent, gracing the earth he had made 
With his presence, for the god was a product of Man: 
But a creature himself. The creation made the god 
And consented to keep him.

II
With the increase of Man 
Came an increase of knowledge, and science made known 
That with diligent study, experiments and theories 
Would produce all the details of how Man had done it
 And Man-god, creator, would be proven king; 
Though the pleas of some people rang out through the labs 
In defense of a God not asleep, but forgotten, 
Of a God who'd not only made earth and her fruit 
But had also invented the concept of man, 
And created all beasts.

But their wisdom was lost. 
The Man-god retained his position of dominance 
And plants, beasts, and birds all accepted his rule. 
Cast out all pretenders, he ordered his followers, 
Allow them no voice in affairs of this world. 
And resuming his lordship of gametes and zygotes
 He continued the process of multiplication. 
In the way of all kingdoms which legislate statutes, 
He governed their fruitfulness, and recorded as law 
Thus: Only the fit shall survive.

III
In violent revolution, 
Coup d'etat, and dissolution, several subjects conspired 
To impeach this, their king. Setting forth martial strategy 
They built a theology based on eye-witness account 
Of a man who had seen all creation in visions, 
A man, one of few, who had loved an old God. 
They consulted their Bibles, interpreted Genesis 
(The name of the book the eye-witness had written), 
And they left Man-god's kingdom forever to live
In a country called Christian.

They commenced to hold meetings 
And drafted up armies armed with doctrine, theology, 
And books of King James; they waged bloody battle 
Backed by literal readings, fundamentally sure 
Of the truth of their cause. But the Man-god joined arms; 
He struck back at the Christian defectors and traitors 
To his creaturely rule over plant, beast, and bird. 
Though the Christians fought brave with their weapons of straw, 
Stout of heart and sincere, they were lost in the war: The Man-god had won.

IV
In true manly fashion 
The Man-god considered his foes, the weak Christians, 
A threat of the past. He reigned in the confidence 
That this minor variant of man that was Christian 
Would have to succumb to the law of his land: 
And only the fit would survive. He continued to rule; 
But the Christians weren't dead. While their forces regrouped 
And the wounded were healed, came the reckoning sought 
By the creature called Man: and only the fit had survived 
This first battle.

The leaders of Christians 
Saw the need of new weapons to replace swords of straw 
That the literalists had used. So in place of their shields 
Made of cardboard, were issued bright Bibles of steel. 
No more would the faulty interpreters cause 
The destruction of Christians by making straw weapons. 
Understanding was great-the most fit had survived, 
And adapted to training with the thought and intent 
Of their God, who had meant to give principles, 
not Cardboard-clad fundament.

V
When the Christians were ready 
And strong in their faith, no Man-god's interpreter
Could challenge their weapon; with the power of the God-man 
No Christian could fail. The soldiers warred fiercely, 
The Man-god was mighty; but mightier still 
Was the Sword of the Lord of the Christians, who found 
That no Man-worshiper could tarnish their bright Bibles' steel, 
But must fall before the image of God found in Christ 
As revealed by the followers of God, the Creator; 
Their creaturely king

Could do nothing but fail.
 The Creator has always been stronger than creature; 
No matter that creaturely mind has forgotten 
The truth of the eye-witness account found in Genesis 
Of one who had seen all creation through vision. 
The image of Man found in Man-god is tinsel; 
Thus, rightly dividing the Word of the Lord 
Leads to victory for Christians, who glorify the God-man, 
The Christ who is named Jesus who rules over all. 
Interpretations are made out of straw.   (1977)

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