Order and Disorder

Genesis one speaks of the order of life. In this account of creation, life and creation are neat and tidy. In Genesis two and three,  another creation story, we encounter disorder. Life and creation aren't so neat and tidy now. I think the Bible is brilliant in bringing these two stories together right from the beginning. The religious and political right (at least pre-Trump) has traditionally emphasized order. The left has traditionally been more willing to emphasize life's complexity (perhaps we could say its "disorder"). The older I get, the more I think we need to do as the Bible does and live with the tension of life shaped by the coming together of order and disorder. We need foundations, direction, order. Children tend to do their best work when everything isn't chaotic. But we shouldn't conclude that life is not experienced as full of nuance, gradation, uniqueness, fluidity. Life and people don't always fit into our neat little categories. Too bad we have to yell with anger our perspectives from one side or the other of this debate. I am convinced that it is possible to bring both together. The Bible does.