Mr N says "Meh!"

Mr N was excited to learn that there was going to be a Bible Class on Wednesday (we've had 3 already, but he hasn't always noticed the announcements). While Mr N doesn't seem to mind Sunday church services, all along his personal concept of "studying Christianity" involved sitting behind desks, perusing through worksheets, and getting assigned homework.

We pioneer pastors are nothing, if not accommodating. Yes, I have worksheets. Yes, I can assign homework. Yes, I can order desks from amazon.co.jp (my wife calls them "fellowship tables", but desks... yeah, they're desks! They sure are!).

So while I'm laying the worksheets on our desk, my wife is setting out onigiri, tea cakes and barley tea on the, er, fellowship table. 
I read through the first chapter of Genesis, pausing only for embellishments  comments, and emphasizing how God is merely laying the foundation and building up to the unveiling of his greatest creation: mankind. God makes plants to be eaten by the water animals, who are eaten by the air animals, who are eaten by the land animals, who are all given to mankind to rule over (and eat). (Two can play at this game, Eugene Peterson!).

Long story short, God breathed his spirit into man only. Hippo didn't get a puff. Elephant wasn't blown up like a balloon. God created man just a little lower than the angels (I had to explain "angels").

Thinking that it might make things clearer, I asked Mr N if he'd like to read that chapter to us from the Japanese Bible.

"I read it already".

"Really?" I asked. "You read Genesis, chapter 1... What did you think?"

He pointed to the chapter - "I read it and I thought, 'So what?'"

Mr N had dismissed the creation of the universe with a wave of the hand and a "So what?"

Lisa and I had to laugh - "What do you mean by 'So what?'" I inquired.

Mr N stated succinctly, "I read it, and I thought 'So what? What does this have to do with anything?' But now that you've explained it, now I know..."

Mr N knows that the God of all creation loves him more than the rainforest, more than the Sphinx, more than the ozone layer and more than Easter Island. He knows that in God's eyes, one human being is more valuable than the total sum of the world's economies.

All that, in just the first chapter of the book. Who knows what else it holds for Mr N...

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