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12 FEBRUARY 2021 | DENVER CATHOLIC into existence, and placed man in the middle of it all to have mastery over it. This first book of Scripture invites us to contemplate this remarkable mystery of creation. It isn't just a story to read passively. It's a miracle to ponder. We read of God speaking light into being, of creating birds of the air, fish of the sea, all manner of creepy-crawly things. And then we hear of God forming, out of the dust of the earth, man – in his image and likeness, breathing into him the very breath of life, setting him apart from everything else he made. And then, making for man a com- panion, someone his equal to stand beside him, bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. This is not merely a child's fairy tale we recite to offer simplistic comfort that all this stuff surrounding us didn't just appear randomly. This is the story of God's awesome power, a snapshot of what only he can do: create some- thing from nothing. But, the book of Genesis is not a sci- ence textbook either. Of course, anything is possible for God, but the manner or timeframe in which he spoke all of creation into being is irrelevant when understanding the Book of Genesis. The story is not meant to be read as a factual recitation of God's creation to-do list. It is a story meant to invite us into wonder and awe at how and why God creates, but not precisely the mechanism of doing it. But because our world has lost its sense of wonder and awe, many write it off. They claim it to be fiction. They insist it's a factual retelling, not a powerful allegory, and simply claim that it could never happen, so it must be ignored. How pitiful, to walk through life assuming every- thing around us was pure accident, and not a purposefully crafted physical world, made for you and me. As people of faith, we read this story of creation, pouring over these words in Scripture, with eyes of faith, with hearts open to the mystery, with a mind ready to be shaped by God's good power. We can read Genesis with knowledge that it is true, simply because everything around us gives evidence that God did create, and did so for us to be swept up in his power and love. The Book of Genesis, and the exploration and explanation of God's creative power, brings us into the mystery of God's love. We learn of a love that could not help but create. A love of us, love for us, love that is meant to be given back. We read Genesis, reciting it almost from memory because it is so familiar, and are not only aware of what God did, or even how he did it, but are told why. God cre- ated all of this, and created man, so that we can delight in this created world, be shocked by its goodness, over- whelmed with its grandeur, and love God in return the same way he has loved us. Genesis tells us of this created world, made by a gen- erous and loving creator, existing for you and I to taste, smell, see, touch, and hear our way through it, and we are compelled to love with our whole hearts the very God who tells us this story. God didn't simply create and plop us into creation. He created it all, made us, set us here, and then tells us how and why he did so. He wants us to know him, and know all of this! He could not keep it to himself, neither the creat- ing or the telling of the creating! And hearing that – know- ing that – inspires us to love him in return. It is all here – you, and I, and even the very story of cre- ation we hear – because of the abundant and perfect love This is not merely a child 's fairy tale we recite to offer simplistic comfort that all this stuff surrounding us didn't just appear randomly. This is the story of God 's awesome power, a snapshot of what only he can do: create something from nothing."