May 13, 2001

Genesis 2:18-25  (p. 2)

 Before the passage: Ch. 2 of Genesis retells the story of creation and gives us a little more detail especially about the creation of those first human beings. One thing that I think is important to point out here concerns the word, "helper." When God says, "I will make a helper fit for the man," the Hebrew word for helper used here is "ezer." It means partner. It does not mean a subservient little assistant.  In fact, ezer is used 18 other times in the OT.  17 of those times it’s used to refer to God as the partner, the ezer, the helper of Israel. So it certainly doesn’t mean a junior partner if it’s used to refer to God.

 Please read the passage.

 I’d like to speak to you just briefly this morning on the subject, "The Most Important Word in All the Bible." -  "The Most Important Word in All the Bible."
 Let me begin with two stories. The first isn’t really a story, it’s just an observation I had one evening.

 Illustration.
I was attending a musical comedy in college. It was extremely funny & well done, and filled with belly laughs. Sitting two rows in front of me was one of my professors. I was sitting with friends, he was sitting by himself. He was a nice man, known as a bit of a loner. The seats in the theater were on a very steep slope, and so I couldn’t help but notice his reactions all night. Whenever something really funny happened he looked around to catch someone’s eye. He was looking for someone to share the laugh with. And of course most people go to the theater with someone and so he could hardly find anybody to laugh with. And it reminded me how much we need each other. And how life, like laughter, is meant to be shared.

 Illustration.
My other story is from Rabbi Harold Kushner (the author of Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?). He tells the story of a Rabbi who snuck out on Yom Kippur and went golfing. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the most holiest of days on the Jewish Calendar. There were services planned for all throughout day. But there was a small break in the afternoon between services, and so the Rabbi quietly went out the back door and drove to a local golf course to play a few holes. He didn’t have time for 18 holes or even 9, but he still could play a few enjoy it. Well, on the very first hole that he played the Rabbi gets a hole in one. He is ecstatic and leaps in the air. And just as he is leaping the angels in Heaven begin to have a conversation with God. "That’s not fair, Lord, he’s golfing on the Day of Atonement! How could you let him make a hole in one! He shouldn’t even  be out there enjoying himself." God just looked at the angels and said, "Relax, who’s he gonna tell?"

 We need each another. God made us relational beings. "It is not good for the man to be alone." The word there for man is "adam."  It doesn’t just mean a man. It means a human being, a person. "It is not good for the human to be alone. We’re designed for relationships. Of course this doesn’t mean that everyone should get married, or that you’re incomplete unless you’re in an Adam & Eve relationship. If just means that we need people in our lives -- to thrive, to live as we were designed.

 Do you know what the most important word in all the Bible is? I think it’s "and." God and Adam.  God and the human being. God and Noah. God and Moses. (You see, it’s not just God. And it’s not just Moses. It’s the "and" that’s so important, it says they’re connected.) Adam and Eve.  "The man and his wife," says Genesis. Abraham and Sarah. David and Jonathan. Mary and Martha. Peter, James, and John.

 The "and" is the need to connect that’s built into the human experience. It’s part of our DNA. It’s part of the divine spark within us.
 In fact in the New Testament, even God has an "and." "The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

 As the church has retold the life of Christ throughout the centuries, we always speak of the Savior with an "and." "Jesus and his disciples were in a boat one day . . ." "You remember the story of Jesus and Nicodemus." Jesus and Zacchaeus. Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Jesus and Doubting Thomas. There’s always an "and." Because that’s how our God is. And that’s how we’re made, too.
 
Illustration. Time Magazine did a cover story recently on what children really need to thrive. And they shared the results of latest research which says that most of the learning toys that are supposed to make young children geniuses are a waste of money. Foreign language videos for one year olds do not make them bilingual. Listening to Mozart does not make them better at math. And kids don’t need flash cards and fancy computer games to learn new words. Instead kids need lots of interaction with those who love them. That’s where they learn interpersonal skills and inner confidence, and all the things that they truly need to succeed in life. They learn these things from the "and’s" of life, from relationships not toys.

 Illustration. Our Benjamin is two years old, and as you can imagine his attention span can be measured by the second hand on your watch. Often he says, "Daddy, play trains?" And by the time I get to the train set he’s left it for his little race cars. And then by the time I get a race car in my hand, he’s moved on to  Noahís arc and the animals. And I’ve misread this a time or two, and I’ve walked away thinking when he had moved on he had something else in mind that didn’t involve me. And Beth told me that when I’ve walked away he looks back at me with sadness in his eyes. You see, I thought it was about an activity. But it wasn’t about an "it." It was about an "and." It was about a relationship.  "Daddy and me."  "Me and Daddy."

 So ever since Beth mentioned this to me, I just follow him all around. He plays with every toy for about 17 seconds. And then I follow him to the next one. And we’re accomplishing nothing. And we’re accomplishing everything. It’s all about "and."

 Church Application. I was thinking this week how important this concept of "and" is for our church. Usually when I explain our organizational chart to someone, they say, "Well, that sure is clumsy, having to go through all those committees to make decisions. Let’s just make a decision and do it." Instead I say, "No. If you want to do that you’ll have to speak to the Parish House Committee, and the Christian Ed. Committee, and the Assessors, and please keep the Women’s Fellowship and Linda & me informed as well." And they look at me like I’m crazy.
 But what if we learn to like the word "and" around this place? And you know what’s so great about it?  - by the time you get done with all those "and’s" (this committee and that committee, this person and that person) you then have a groundswell of support, you have the support and affirmation of a number of your sisters and brothers in the faith.  And what a beautiful and biblical way to do church!

 The word "and" is so important in the church.  Sisters and Brothers, We must learn to love the word, "and."

 I’ll close by inviting you to the most important "and" of all -- you and God. Holy Communion is communion with the Holy God. It’s an "and" experience. You and God. God and you. You and your sisters and brothers and God, communing together.
 In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  One God now and forever. Amen.

Rich Knight