Creation: God’s creation of everything that exist.
Comment 1
Creation: God’s creation of everything that exist. Shalom is the Hebrew word used to sum up the picture of Genesis 1 and 2. Shalom is described as “the human being dwelling at peace in all his or her relationships: With God, with self, with fellows, with nature” (GCU, 2018). The world was created for human flourishing when everyone could live in joy on the presence of our “Maker”, worshipping God by loving Him and one another.
Fall: The fall is described as the disobedience of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God show “their rejection of God’s rule over them and it resulted in a break in Shalom” (GCU, 2018). Spiritual and physical death entered the break in Shalom allowing in diseases, suffering, and the “estrangement from God” (GCU, 2018).
Redemption: God plans redemption after the break in Shalom. God saw was the wrath of diseases and sins was causing the world. There was so much evil and suffering that he knew he has to redeem the world. God sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world. Jesus Christ was sacrificed by dying for our sins and on arose on the third day (Christianity, 2012).
Restoration: The end goal of restoration is to restore all creation to a state of Shalom. The Bible states that God will be coming back to judge sin and evil and restore righteousness and peace while eliminating the world of evil once and for all (Christianity, 2012).
I would find comfort and hope in the light of illness according to this narrative in all four parts of the narrative as God always has a reason and purpose for any suffering that he allows as do. God will not let you suffer more than you can handle.
Comment 2
The four parts of the Christian Biblical Narrative include: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Creation encompasses the belief that “God is the creator of everything that exists” (Grand Canyon University, 2015, The Christian Narrative section, para. 3). Fall entails the introduction of sin into society as depicted by the story of Adam and Eve who ate from the tree that God told them explicitly not to eat from. For those who have sinned, God presents the option of redemption by making “available forgiveness and salvation by grace alone, through faith alone” (Grand Canyon University, 2015, The Christian Narrative section, para. 5). Restoration is the last part of the Christian Biblical Narrative which has yet to come to fruition. “The return of Jesus, the final judgment of all people, and the restoration of all creation will inaugurate final restoration” (Grand Canyon University, 2015, The Christian Narrative section, para. 6).
In terms of creation, the Christian Biblical Narrative states that we are created not only in the image of God, but according to His plan. Moreover, “the act of creating by God was intentional… and everything is how it ought to be” (Grand Canyon University, 2015, The Christian Narrative section, para. 3). In relation to the reality of sickness and disease, what happens to us is meant to be and part of His grand design. The Fall caused a break in Shalom or peace by introducing sin into the world. Sin’s impact on the reality of sickness and disease is that it has the potential to cause death or illness that otherwise could have been prevented. Redemption is God’s offering to allow us to right our wrongs and enter back into His good grace (i.e. repent). In relation to sickness and disease, redemption can restore our hope and faith and strengthen our spiritual health which could help in the healing process. Restoration encompasses the commitment that God has made to judge all of us based on our faith and belief in His word. He promises those who have maintained their faith in Him and obeyed Him, that they will be restored to their original state (one of purity and goodness).
According to the Christian Biblical Narrative, one would find comfort and hope in light of illness by simply having faith in God, obeying His commands, and following His plan to salvation. Understanding that God’s act of creation was not random or accidental but planned and purposeful, allows us to accept those things (both good and bad) that befall us. To increase our comfort and hope in light of illness, “God has made available a way to salvation, [where] the end goal is the restoration of all creation to a state of Shalom” (Grand Canyon University, 2015, The Christian Narrative section, para. 6).