“One afternoon, before anything was made, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost sat around in the unity of their Godhead discussing one of the Father’s fixations. From all eternity, it seems he had had this thing about being. He would keep thinking up all kinds of unnecessary things—new ways of being and new kinds of beings to be. And as they talked, God the Son suddenly said, “Really, this is absolutely great stuff. Why don’t I go out and mix us up a batch?” And God the Holy Ghost said, “Terrific, I’ll help you.” So they all pitched in, and after supper that night, the Son and the Holy Ghost put on this tremendous show of being for the Father. It was full of water and light and frogs; pine cones kept dropping all over the place and crazy fish swam around in the wineglasses. There were mushrooms and grapes, horseradishes and tigers—and men and women everywhere to taste them, to juggle them, to join them and to love them. And God the Father looked at the whole wild party and he said, “Wonderful! Just what I had in mind! Tov! Tov! Tov!” And all God the Son and God the Holy Ghost could think of to say was the same thing. “Tov! Tov! Tov!” So they shouted together “Tov meod!” and they laughed for ages and ages, saying things like how great it was for things to be, and how clever of the Father to think of the idea, and how kind of the Son to go to all that trouble putting it together, and how considerate of the Spirit to spend so much time directing and choreographing. And forever and ever they told old jokes, and the Father and the Son drank their wine in unitate Spiritus Sancti, and they all threw ripe olives and pickled mushrooms at each other per omnia saecula saeulorum (through all the ages of the ages). Amen.” (Robert Farrar Capon)
I read this quote many years ago. It didn’t make sense to me then, but it captivated me, and it makes a lot more sense to me now. In my small group we’re using a book that’s helping us read through the bible. Of course we’re starting with the creation stories. The older I get the more magical all creation appears to me. I can hardly go on a run in the morning without falling down in awe at the leaves lying on the path, the shades of green, the blue sky, the sound of crickets, the sound of the river, feeling my heart pumping, the sight of my dog frolicking. It seems a bit silly as I try to express it and write it out like this. But the joy of being alive and feeling the aliveness all around me is a wonderful thing. I’ve been practicing saying yes and thank you a thousand times a day, perhaps I’ll add “Tov” to my vocabulary and repertoire.
What if for today, you could imagine God looking at you and saying:
“Wonderful! Just what I had in mind! Tov! Tov! Tov!”
Good! Good! Good! You are good! Before any thought of “original sin” is original blessing! Imago Dei! You are good! Look around at creation. How could it be otherwise? You are good!
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