Most of us imagine God starting from scratch, creating the heavens and the Earth from nothing.

But when you read the Genesis account, it’s not that there was nothing. There was all this stuff. It’s just that it was all a waste.

This might seem depressing at first, but I think this glimpse into the moments before creation is profoundly good news.

The reality is that none of us gets to begin with a blank slate. We all start out in darkness. We all have deep, churning places, and lots of wasted stuff, from day one. That’s part of what makes this beginning so redemptive. God doesn’t start with a pristine white canvas or a fresh can of Play-doh. He starts with a deep, dark mess. Anybody else relate?

Imagining the cosmic scope of this mess makes what happens next even more astounding.

You can read about it here: