At the beginning of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, we are told that God created all that is.  But this creation happens in a very specific way, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Water, for the ancient Hebrews, was shorthand for chaos.  So early on in the story we have a picture of darkness, a lack of form, disarray.  And while the Hebrew Scriptures insist that God created all that is out of nothing, many scholars suggest that this story is not about God bringing something out of nothing, but rather bringing order out of disorder.

In other words, according to the Genesis poem, God shows up in the midst of chaos, darkness, and disorder to bring beauty, light, and goodness.  “Good” is the refrain we hear out of the mouth of God again and again.

And this happens through the creativity of the Creator.  If you’re unclear about what that looks like, take a trip to Yosemite, or look into a microscope, or telescope.  The more we discover, the more we are in awe at the beauty of this order.

Where there is chaos, God’s creative energy births goodness.

But not only so: the Genesis poem also speaks of God granting creative energy to the things that he created, “Let the land produce vegetation…let the land produce living creatures…”  According the sacred texts, God gives what He has made the ability to co-create with Him.

And one of the things that God creates in this ancient poem is us.

The ancient scholars called this our first calling.  It is spelled out a chapter later, “The LORD God put the man in the garden of Eden to work and take care of it.”  We were meant to work with and take care of the creation we have been entrusted with.  It is a sacred calling, in every sense of that word.  We are invited to partner with the One in creating something and caring for it precisely in the places of darkness and disorder and chaos.

Where there is child abuse.  Or systemic hate.  Or dehumanizing internet sites.  Or mountains of trash.

Or refugees.

Which brings us to falafel.

Recently, Julie and I took a water taxi from Alexandria, Virginia, to Georgetown.  Beautiful ride up the Potomac, past Reagan International and the Capitol Mall.  But what was most beautiful about our trip was where we ate on the other side.

In the sprawl of expensive restaurants and fancy boutiques that make up the main drag of Georgetown, sitting there on Potomac Avenue near M Street, is Falafel, Inc.  All 700 square feet of it.  No where to sit but the window sill.  And the best falafel I have ever eaten. Sandwiches for $3.  Or you can splurge for the $4 falafel bowl.  In Georgetown.  

Our kind of place.

But here’s the beauty of the place, situated in a stretch of consumerism, in a world where 71 million people are legit refugees: for every ten dollars you spend at Falafel, Inc., a refugee is fed for a day.  In fact, the aim of the restaurant is to employ refugees, and then enable them to open storefronts of their own.

All this…out of a humble chick pea.  All this…without calling out liberals or shaming conservatives.  Just by feeding them.  That is brilliant.  Creative.

Notice what is happening here: a business is taking a common cuisine found in Middle Eastern refugee camps and is using it to involve us in pulling refugees out of poverty.  Creativity in the midst of chaos leading to goodness and light.

It is how God works from the very beginning.  It is the call on us that has never been rescinded.

So that when we are confronted with chaos and darkness and disorder in our news feeds and neighborhoods and kitchens and closets, we are invited to move from consumer to creator.  What, with the creativity we have been given by God, can we birth that would involve others in bringing goodness and order to the world in which we live?

Out of chaos…what will we do?