I recently read a book titled Living with Darwin by Philip Kitcher. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while the book is written by a secular humanist with little interest in theistic religion, the author took the intelligent design arguments as science and countered them on their own grounds. While I do not necessarily agree with all of the assertions Kitcher provides, I appreciate legitimate, intellectual debate to the often overheated unreflective babbling that the topic typically elicits from both sides of the aisle. In response to this book, I feel it time for me to address the controversial but important topic of evolution with respect to Christianity. I openly admit to being less than orthodox on this subject, but all too often it seems that the visceral reactions elicited in both sides prevents either perspective from truly considering the other.
It seems that God enjoys communicating with us through stories. We are encouraged to spend time in scripture, which is at its core the story of God's interaction with humanity. Most of it is written in a narrative fashion reminiscent of Homeric epics or even modern literature, full of heroes, villains, battles and, when well written, difficult moral and existential dilemmas. Even Jesus seemed to prefer using parables to explain difficult ideas over any other instructional tool. When Jesus talks about the prodigal son, he's not talking about some guy he knew back in Nazareth. Is Jesus lying when he tells this story, or any of the other parables? I certainly don't think so. If our notion of truth is so shallow that only literal, a posteriori events can be utilized, eschewing all forms of metaphor and abstract reasoning, we need to back up and reconsider a whole mess of linguistic quandries.
Likewise, I see no reason not to call the book of Genesis, or at the very least the early part of Genesis, a parable. It explains in a reasonable way a great deal about humanity, though perhaps not in a way matching historical accuracy. This does not make it less true, though it makes it a different kind of true. Through my years as a Christian, I have realized that oftentimes my brothers and sisters become unreasonbly concerned with linguistic minutia when it comes to these type of arguments. I assert here that what is of the utmost importance is not history per se, but meaning. Genesis provides a meaningful if not historical notion of the creation of humans and our early development.
My own personal understanding of the Universe is as such: In the beginning was void, and God said "Let there be light," and all of the matter of the universe exploded forth from a tiny speck. The matter expanded and formed galaxies with uncounteed solar systems spread throughout. Eventually, our own system developed, with some gentle nudging of course. Just as life exists through the presence of God, the natural laws are likewise subject to divine influence though not typically to outright divine control. Eventually, the earth cooled sufficiently to allow for organic chemical arrangements, and with some divine inspiration, it was done. Over time, with some gentle nudging, these organic compounds formed cells, which multiplied and clumped together. Over time, these cells refined their operations, forming tissues and eventually outright organisms. Eventually, through millions of years, these organisms ended up as early humans, as God intended them to.
Throughout history, God has guided the natural processes He created to ensure the appropriate functioning of the world. How can we be so arrogant as to say that on the first day God had already decided what He wanted to do on the sixth? Perhaps humankind was not ordained from the very beginning of time, but seeing its development, God said "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Let us be careful not to assume too much about the intentions of God, save that they are for our best. I do wholly believe God was present throughout the history of the universe, gently guiding its development. I do not believe that evolution could have happened as it did without the constant influence of God, if only in the smallest ways. This, to me, is a much more impressive view of God than one who simply says "let there be" and there is. This is a God who desires His creation to understand itself, and who grants the freedom to be truly in His image - eternally creative.
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