In The Beginning

The beginning of a story makes such a difference, doesn't it?  It sets the stage, if you will, for the rest of the narrative.  We all can remember stories by their opening lines, even.  Try these examples...

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
“The Marleys were dead to begin with…”
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”

Do they stretch your memory?  Even if you don't remember A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, and Star Wars, perhaps you will remember this famous story opener...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NIV)

This is the most important story-opener of all time.  It is the opening book, chapter, and verse of the Bible.  Within the Biblical narrative, we have many, many sub-stories that take place.  In one of them, Jesus tells a story about a father and two sons.  The opening to that story goes like this:

"There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them." (Luke 15:11-12 NIV)

This opening line tells us a lot about the story right away.  It tells us the story is about a man who had two sons.  We learn that the man has enough wealth that the sons would get a "share of the estate" when he died.  We also learn that the younger son is selfish and arrogant enough to say, essentially, "I don't need you.  I don't want you.  I wish you were dead."  This last line may sound a bit harsh at first, but that's what the son is saying when he asks for his share of the estate.  People don't receive an inheritance until the inheritance owner dies.  This opening line tells us the tension that exists between the father and the son, and the conflict that will need to be resolved before the story ends.

Scripture is the same way.  The opening line of the Bible tells us that the story is about God.  The next sub-story (Genesis 2) tells us about our relationship with God and one another - designed and created to be perfect.  The story right after that (Genesis 3) introduces an enemy-deceiver who creates tension between human beings and God.  This conflict will need to be resolved before the story ends.

How about you?  Do you like a good story?  Does the beginning of the story set the stage for you?  Do you look forward to the day when the conflict is resolved and the tension ends?  Do you look forward to perfectly walking together with God?