VICE PRESIDENT OF A PLANET

God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

Genesis 1:27, 28 

Adam might be a real shock to look at today. We have no idea what a perfect human would look like, even when we try to imagine it. God created Adam powerful physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He and Eve walked and talked with God and were designed to be co-managers of the whole planet. God was the Maker, and of course, Sovereign. He decided how things were to be done and made all the rules. There were only two: Love God. Love everybody else. Do it with all you’ve got. Everything they did, from keeping the garden to celebrating the Sabbath, was based on that one Great Law of Love.

Angels were messengers, teaching the new humans about the world and their work, telling them stories of heaven and Creation. Perhaps they taught them about managing the animal and plant kingdoms. Adam and Eve were next in what you might think of as a hierarchy of love. There was no king/subject or boss/employee relationship such as we think of now. Even the animals looked up to and trusted their caretakers. There was no back-biting, no arguing, no laziness or blame or passing the buck.

Adam and Eve worked together in all things, learning more every day about their individual talents and abilities. Maybe Eve was better at propagating plants, or Adam was better at training vines. What does one do in a garden without weeds, thorns, or pests? We don’t even know!

Here is what we do know: Adam looked at his realm with a reflection of the same love with which God looked at him. He loved Eve, he loved the animals, and he even loved the plants. He had named these things. He loved learning what each animal and plant needed for happiness, wholeness, and health (not that the concept of disease or death had yet entered his head!) Every day, in everything he did, Adam gave his life to the care of those God had entrusted to him. He never thought it would end.

Creator of relationships, Caregiver of my soul, it amazes me to think that after everything that’s happened, after everything I’ve done, You still give me my little share of the work of caring for Your world! It’s a lot harder now than it was ever meant to be. Let me see clearly my job today, and to do it with Your love, as Your helping child.