Chaos and Creation: Inviting the Spirit of God

 By: Lauren Thomas 

In the beginning… The Spirit of God hovered over the waters. The ancient hearers, or readers, would have understood “the waters” to symbolize chaos. Yet, the Holy Spirit was present over the chaos. In the midst of the chaos, there was the Spirit, hovering.

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2 ESV

And then, God spoke. A word in the Bible used for Spirit means “breath.” God spoke. His breath, or Spirit, entered the chaos and transformed it. Where there was chaos, the Spirit created beauty. Where there was confusion, the Spirit created order.

 

The places of our lives that feel chaotic we sometimes try to keep God out of. Or, in general we just try to hide these parts from everyone. Maybe we lack hope that God can touch that kind of darkness and disorder. So, we close it up. We try to contain the chaos.

 

But this picture we see in Genesis, something that literally occurred, is also a metaphor for us today. The chaos in our lives is not untouchable. When we invite the Holy Spirit in to those areas of darkness and chaos, He can breathe order, beauty, and re-creation. We might think we can neatly contain our chaos within our finite boundaries, but we can’t. And why contain the chaos when the Spirit of God could create from the chaos? Here, Genesis 1, we read not only an account of creation, but we see a hint of redemption: God takes the broken thing and makes it beautiful.

 

to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3 ESV

 

Reflection:

What areas of chaos in your life are you keeping in the dark, hiding from others, hiding from God? Today, how could you invite the Spirit of God to hover over your chaos and breathe His creating Spirit into you afresh?