Adam and Culture in the Garden
Immediately after his creation, Adam began to build culture. He named the animals, which involved careful observation and analysis – the basis of all science. Adam composed a brief poem extolling the virtues of his perfect companion. Here we see the beginning of the arts.
Man was also assigned the task of growing crops, which involves plowing, planting, watering, and harvesting. These actions alter the “virgin landscape” forever. Yet, these acts are good.
Animals establish a culture of their own. Birds build nests. Beavers build damns. Spiders build webs. Yet, each of these are not experimental or new.
Part of the image of God in us is that we are creative. We build new structures and create new designs. Animals are reactive while humans are proactive.
The goal is a garden-city, where the beauty of man-made works and the glory of creation are wedded in a mutually-enhancing whole.
Culture is the product of human acts of concretization undertaken in the developmental transformation of the earth according to the commandment of God.
Culture is not an activity to keep mankind occupied until something else happens. It has a particular God-ordained end in view: the development of the earth into a global network of gardens and cities in harmony with creation – a glorious garden-city.
Culture is religion externalized or made public. Culture reveals the religion of those who make it.
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4 comments:
Pastor, it’s obvious that animals were created and inhabited the earth before the fall. So I am interested in hearing what your take is on our loved animals sharing our joy in heaven?
You don't believe that all dogs go to heaven? :-)
My dogs will forsure! But don't tell Tony, he will be bumbed out.
"Culture reveals the religion of those who make it." -- Interesting thought which most likely is the reason that all cultures at some point fall under the weight of sin.
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