A few years ago, I was helped by seeing Genesis 1 as God pushing back the chaos monster (the sea) to make a space for humanity to live in. The reason I found it so helpful is that life with 4 young kids feels like a relentless battle with the chaos monster. Young children are entropy machines, picking up things in one room to scatter them over the house. You clean one thing, and look up to find three more messes. And frankly, we were often losing to the chaos monster in our house.
The good news of the gospel includes the fact that there is no sea in the New Creation (Revelation 21:1). That is, we will no longer fight a losing battle against the chaos monster in the new creation, but will rule and order creation without frustration.
It is interesting that in Western culture there has been a generally reaction against order- think of the good guys in Star Wars being the Rebels. This is in part because very powerful forces helping bring order have also crushed individual freedom- industrialisation and institutionalisation as well as communism and fascism. Order can become idolatrous and dehumanising. In Revelation 13 (following Daniel 7), the beast from the sea represents the state, bringing order from the chaos, and so both idolatrously worshipped and crushing humans underfoot. That danger is real. But for much of human history, chaos has been the evident danger, and order longed for.
This last week, I’ve been reading Peter Leithart’s commentary on 1 and 2 Chronicles. And one of the things he highlights is how much time is given to the Levites, to gatekeepers, to craftsmen and managers. When a king is really following God, a truly ordered and fruitful kingdom and worship follow.
So to all the skilled administrators and managers and out there in government, in institutions, in businesses and churches- thank you for the part you play in pushing back the chaos monster. And when the chaos seems to be winning- we can look forward to the day that Jesus comes and brings the perfect order that does not crush human individuality and flourishing, but enables it.
Jots and Scribbles 