Creation - From the beginning of time, humans have developed numerous theories and beliefs behind how and why we exist. I've studied a number of other creation stories from the Ancient Near East, and the story of Genesis stands out in particular. In most other ancient myths, the world is perceived as an accident of the gods, rather than a beautiful creation. Similarly, human beings were thought to be a mistake, whose only purpose was to live as slaves to the gods. By contrast, the Genesis story tells of creation that was not an accident; nor was it viewed as problematic. The earth and its creatures were created with purpose, and they are described as "very good." Genesis also describes humankind as "made in the image of God;" beautiful and created intentionally with purpose. 

Exploration - From birth to death, we are ever exploring new aspects of life. If you ever watch the eyes of a newborn baby, you can see a deep fascination with the world around them. We love to travel the world, find new hobbies, eat delicious food, listen to beautiful music, discover what lies behind the eyes of someone you love.

Discovery - The result of a exploration. When we're younger, our world is vast and unexplored, with endless possibilities. Sometimes though, it is important to dig deeper and refine our focus. We encounter the deep beauty that lies under the surface. 

Questions - Our life experiences cause us to grow and mature, and we see more than we did before. Often times the more we see, the more questions we have. There are so many questions we may never have the answers to, and one of the beauties of life is that it is truly a mystery. 

Reconciliation  - There are times when we make mistakes. Beauty doesn't mean perfection. In fact, some would argue that the imperfect is even more beautiful than the perfect. When we sin against each other, reconciliation must take place. This process, as well as the deeper relationship that results, is something we are all well familiar with. Reconciliation isn't easy though, and as a result we live in a world plagued by war. I play this out of my own experiences of reconciled relationships, and out of my hopes and prayers for reconciliation on a global scale. 

Forward - There are many stages in life, and with each stage comes a transition into the next. There's the scare transition from middle school to high school, from high school to college, from college to life. From job to career from single to married. You watch your kids grow up and experience everything you've already experienced. Transitions are often accompanied by fear and excitement and sadness and exhilaration and every emotion imaginable. With every transition we can only look ahead and move forward, as we experience the daunting beauty of a new beginning.