Readings:
Genesis 1-3 - wherein the world is created, twice
Psalm 1 - wherein the law is praised
Matthew 1 - wherein Jesus is begat
I'm not going to say anything about the creation narrative other than that it is beautiful in both its grand sweep and small details. I will also take this opportunity to go on record as accepting evolutionary science with not the slightest bit of dismay. People who treat the Bible as a history book put themselves in the unfortunate position of having a falsifiable faith that forces them to close their eyes to what is right in front of them. That's not what I want nor is it what I believe God wants.
What I found most interesting in today's readings was actually the juxtaposition of Psalm 1 and Matthew 1. Psalm 1 talks about how the righteous "delight in the Law of The Lord". Meanwhile in Matthew 1, Joseph finds that his fiance is pregnant. Now, even if you haven't read the Old Testament laws before, I'm sure you are aware that women where there were doubts about their virginity before marriage tended not to come to a good end. But check this in Matthew: upon finding out about Mary's pregnancy, we have this: "Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly." Considering what the Mosaic law gave him the right to do, well, it's just interesting to see that the Psalm regards adherence to the law as characterizing righteousness while Matthew suggests that a righteous man can be known by his mercy. I think this might be a helpful thought to return to as we get to some of the darker parts of the Old Testament.
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