![]() The Bible tells us that Creation (capital-C intended) involved six days of labor—dividing the waters, flinging the sun and stars into orbit, seeding the dead earth, and stitching together a strange little hominid named the human. After that, God took a break. On the seventh day he rested (Genesis 2:2). Isn’t that the impression some of us get from Scripture, that God was tuckered out from all the making and finally decided to collapse on heaven’s sofa? I remember a joke from my elementary school days: “Your mama’s so fat, it took God six days to make her, and on the seventh day he RESTED!” Leave aside for a moment your joy that public school kids would be so familiar with Genesis. Realize instead that people often assume creation—whether by God directly, or by him through us—involves exhaustion…depletion…weariness… But if God is infinite (Psalm 145:3), then how could he get tired as we limited beings do?
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![]() In Greek mythology, a Titan named Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind, allowing civilization to blossom. We can do the same for our writing, filching a little of the heat from somebody else to help our own work flourish. The good news is that, unlike Prometheus, we probably won’t end up chained to a rock with an eagle eating our liver every day for eternity. |
AboutAnthony Otten has published stories in Jabberwock Review, Valparaiso Fiction Review, Wind, Still: The Journal, and others. He has been a finalist for the Hargrove Editors' Prize in Fiction. He lives in Kentucky. Recent Posts:
Why I'm Choosing the Catholic Church The Struggle to Stay Real as Writers and Humans When People Stopped Being Interesting to Write About How to Avoid God, Unsuccessfully 3 Ways to Use History in Your Fiction Who's Afraid of Death? Jesus and The "Illegals" The Hardest Command Grasping the Resurrection Radical Fairness Story Published The King of Outsiders When Your Idol Falls Our Not-Guilty Verdict Nobody Dies for a Lie Would You Be The Doorman? Judge Not Publication News What is a Blessing? Real Obedience is Love Jesus was Inevitable The Death of Envy What God Really Wants Submission and Query Resources for Writers Hearing His Voice The World Overcome Honestly, God: Praying Our True Feelings When God Gives Us What We Want Killing Isaac Archives
September 2017
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