The Beginning of Nations: Act Two
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him.
Did you miss the previous episode?
The lights dimmed, and the screen filled with what looked like an old-fashioned home movie. And in reel after consecutive reel, we watched Adam grow from infancy to young adulthood. Far from his clan on the plains of central Africa, Yahweh God cared for his every need in paradise. Within the grainy footage, we saw him feed Adam, bathe him, play with him, and teach him language. And when Adam came of full stature, Yahweh God told him it was time to learn about the sky, land, and sea.
The movie changed abruptly, becoming much less grainy and more vibrant in color. It showed us a portal, like the one where we witnessed Adam's birth, and we watched as Yahweh and Adam peered through it at a world on fire.
The skies glowed orange against the blackness of the expanse while the oceans below raged in the oppressive heat. Then, frame by frame, that world gradually transformed before our eyes, like a painstakingly slow clay animation. First, the skies flashed brilliant white, so bright we had to shield our eyes. Then they turned blue as if the skies were a mirror, reflecting the deep blue color of the now cool and calm waters. So blue it was hard to discern where the skies ended and the seas began. After that, land masses thrust up from under the waters, pushing them back into boundaries marked with white foam. Then, as the sun brightened the days, grasses and flowering trees sprouted as far as the eye could see along the banks of many rivers. And the moon and stars lit up the nights as the fishes of the deep crawled out of subdued seas. On land, they became birds, creeping creatures, and wild animals.
Yahweh turned to Adam, and the movie became grainy again. Then, one by one, each type of animal that wandered in the field and every kind of bird that flew in the air appeared before Adam in paradise.
But unlike their counterparts on the other side of the portal, these creatures looked more like the spiritual beings with whom we now shared our city, New Jerusalem. Their stunning winged appearance was at first overwhelming, for they did not look human and often resembled magnificent birds, glorious lions, or stunning serpents.
"What would you like to call them?" Yahweh asked.
After Adam chose a name for each one, Yahweh inquired in the presence of the creatures, "Would you like to have one of these as a companion?"
Adam shook his head. "None of these are like me," he replied, sadly.
The screen went blank, the movie was over, and I sat back in my chair. I had been sitting on the edge of it for—how long? Had we been watching for hours? Weeks? Years?
Oh. I forgot. Again.
Was I ever going to get used to these changes? There was no such thing as hours, weeks, or years in New Jerusalem. Surrounded by eternal light, it was always the Day, and no calendar was needed to schedule events. When I decided to see the Beginning of Nations exhibit for myself—I just showed up, and it started as soon as all the seats were filled. But in other parts of the world, I was told, there was still night because the earth still revolved around the sun. Do they keep track of the time there? I don't know. I only know that I never want to leave the city.
Our ancient guide spoke up—his voice raspy from being quiet for so long. "He was right, you know."
I wrinkled my brow. Right about what?
He turned to face us. "None of the creatures were like Adam. The Homosapiens mutation affected only the males. And the earliest male infants did not survive. Like Adam, they were abandoned or killed." He tugged at the hairs on his chin. "Thousands of years would pass on the earth before their mothers would nurture them. And thousands more before the males would live to adulthood. It was going to be a long, long time before any females were born." His piercing eyes bore into us. "Much longer than Adam desired to wait."
During the long, awkward pause that followed, someone who had not listened in Sunday school raised their hand.
"What happened next?" they asked.
The old sage grinned and replied, "God, in his mercy, put Adam to sleep."
Next On Earth as In Heaven
Don’t miss Act 3, when the Lord God makes a woman from the part he took out of the man. Because even if you were listening in Sunday school, you probably never heard the story told quite like this.