Our first confirmation class was last night via zoom. It was lovely to be with young women as we discussed plans for between now and Pentecost. We encouraged them to submit any questions they have about their faith. We told them that the answer to some of their questions maybe “I don’t know, what do you think?” The questions we ask are sometimes more important than the answers we think we have found.

 

We then talked about the creation stories in the first few chapters of Genesis. We asked what they knew about the creation story, and they responded with Adam and Eve. They sort of knew that there were two separate stories, but they had never reconciled the two stories for themselves. We talked about the possible reasons for the two stories, and the questions people may have been asking that the stories answered. We discussed that these stories were told before people had the written word and that perhaps the stories were told around different campfires to different nomadic groups.

 

Our conclusion was that it is not as important to consider how creation happened but to consider the questions behind the creation. What do the stories tell us about God, about ourselves, about our relationships with the rest of creation, about our role in creation, and about what it means to be made in God’s image?

 

I am hopeful as we start this journey with these young women. My hope is that their faith will blossom and that the Scriptures will come alive for them as they learn to feel more comfortable with their questions and the lack of right or wrong answers.

If you want to join along, try reading the creation stories in Genesis!