Where To Begin, Again?
Creation Story One: 1:1-2:4a
It turns out the opening words of Genesis - In the beginning - make for such a deceptively good beginning that they’re used for another beginning. Well, if it ain’t broke! The Gospel of St John begins with the same phrase. At first sight, this might be mistaken for plagiarism or lazy writing or even simply a Biblical big-up. One only has to read on to realise something much more profound is at work. Whoever wrote this - In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (Jn 1:1) - is as original a writer as, well, the original writer of - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:1) He’s even managed to use our key phrase twice without the feeling of repetition or redundancy.
This doesn’t land like mere homage but more like redux or even a radical deepening of the original statement. How do you take on the biggest story of all time; the story about the beginning of all time? Normally, you don’t. There’s no beating Shakespeare or Joyce on their home ground. Except hubris isn’t driving the Evangelist here. He’s not deconstructing but, rather, has something amazing to add.
Here’s the claim: that the mind-blowing beginning of Genesis is not the most important thing about the beginning. Qué? In other words, the most important element is what’s missing from the original account - The Word. A Person. St John is suggesting that the beginning really begins with this Person, this Word. Could there be a more profound statement for storytellers, writers and creatives? We’ll explore this more deeply in the next post. Suffice to say, an implication of John’s account is that (properly understood) the true story starts here, not Genesis 1:1.
That also makes for solid story device: a massive reveal about the protagonist someways through the narrative - Harry’s a hor what? It’s also a stroke of genius to reframe the whole story thereby - you’re not my faaaaatherrrrrrrrrrrr! John’s astonishing insight is that the very meaning of history and so also of story, is not so much a linear narrative from first to final word but is instead to be found summed up in Person, Character, Actor.
I think it was Henry James who once stated of story-writing: what is action but the development of character? What is character but the development of action?
Opening words are crucial but their full significance subsists in the total sum of Word in a story, (the spoken and unspoken). Story is not so much about chapters of passing time or the turn of the page, as unfolding relationships - you to the inhabiting characters, and the narrative itself to the broader mystery of existence. In our best stories, truly Word becomes flesh and dwells amongst us.
Header photo: Vincentiu Solomon, Unsplash