The Mysterious Other

Genesis 2:18-25

Poor Adam. He has no “helper.” Now, I know one meaning of that word very well. I’ve done enough crummy jobs to know that a helper is the guy who does what the boss doesn’t want to be bothered with. But this goes back to the fact that it’s just not a good thing to be alone.

From the available parties, no one quite qualifies. God himself is, well, God. The man needs some companionship a bit more on his own level (although that will come even from God.) The companionship he needs is not going to come from among the animals he has had the privilege of naming either.

So something totally wonderful happens. He gets a companion who is both her own person and yet is also intimately connected to him by origin. The culture out of which the writing comes is of course scandalously patriarchal by today’s thinking. But we need to cut through that to the beautiful mystery at the heart of this: There is something deep within us that longs for union. That union is best lived if it includes respect for the mystery of the other. We are deeply connected, and yet are individuals. By some wondrous irony of God’s design, we are more connected by respecting the mystery of one another than if we make a lot of really crude assumptions about people. I don’t really need to know everything about you. It’s nice to get the end product of your appreciation of bad puns, Bach, and anything chocolate (or whatever some of your favorite things are). If you choose to let me know about anything deeper that’s up to you, and I am honoured by your sharing.

More tomorrow on the sexuality aspect of this passage.

Prayer:
God of all, I thank you for the personhood of each person sharing in this prayer with me. Through Christ in whom we are complete. Amen.