What does it mean to be human? That’s the question we’ll reflect upon this summer as we preach through Genesis. The first book of the Bible poses the riddle of humanity. We find enigmatic stories of heroism and betrayal, of romance and heartbreak, of war and peace.

In the science fiction movie, Tron, a robot named Ares tries to understand what it’s like to be human. A grieving woman tells him, “Being human is hard. The things that make life great are the same things that make it excruciating.” As we open the pages of Genesis, we’ll come away neither cynical nor Pollyannaish. We’ll see a realistic picture of humanity that’s beautiful and broken, full of joy and pain.

We’ll begin this Sunday with the creation of Adam and Eve. We see what life is like lived in harmony with God, creation, and one another. Before humanity runs its hand against the grain of the universe, we find a world without splinters. From work to worship to marriage to solitude, Adam and Eve know only shalom, a life of peace.

The good news of Scripture, of course, is that this Edenic peace isn’t just historical, it’s a present reality for all those represented by the Second Adam, Jesus. Please join us Sunday as we begin our journey together to understand our humanity and, in the process, become more fully human.