As I am working toward my last message based on the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, I find myself still pondering the power his claim that “everything God created is good ….” While I recognize that the context for Paul’s writing is to help Timothy structure a church that is dealing with some form of early gnosticism, my thoughts are taken by the impact his statement should make in our lives. Most forms of gnosticism that have been developed through the centuries place either no value or negative value on the material world. Paul is suggesting that value has been placed upon the world we experience: Nature, Growth, Relationships, and Sensory Experience.
The way of Jesus expressed in the words of Paul suggests that part of the storyline in the narrative of world history is that there is value in the world and our experience of it. Escape from this world, denial of its reality, or devaluing life’s experiences – none of these inclinations are a part the Christian life. Our belief in the inherent goodness of the world around us grounds our drive to embrace life, cherish friendship, and care for the physical needs of those less fortunate.
How do other narratives about the world speak to its value? We will explore this question for the next few weeks.