Which Came First, the Chicken or Love? (Part 1 of 3)

Take any major worldview (that is, any major religious or philosophical stand through which one views the world) outside the Christian worldview, and you will find that in every case, life precedes love.  This is no slight or defamation toward any worldview, it is simply the truth.  Ask anyone true to their faith, be they Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, etc. and he or she would have to agree.  Only the Christian worldview can claim that Love precedes life.  This begs two questions; How is this possible and more importantly; Why does it matter?

I borrowed my title from an ancient philosophical question; “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”  The question is meant to stimulate the mind as one ponders origins or ‘first cause’.  The answer to that question can easily be found in the Bible; Genesis chapter 1.  The answer to my question is also rooted in the beginning but may not be so obvious.    It goes back in history a little bit further.  It goes back to Genesis chapter 1 verse 1; “In the beginning God…”  The word for God here was originally written ‘Elohim‘.  This is the Hebrew word for God in it’s plural form.  You see Christians worship the Triune God.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  One God.  Three persons.  Each equal and each distinct and all God.  This is how it is possible that Love preceded life.

If God was there at the beginning one could ask this question, ‘Who did God love before the beginning, before the creation?’  Look at the answer to that question from these viewpoints.  The Atheist would say ‘There is no sentient cause or god who created life, so of course life preceded love.’  In fact they might even say ‘Love is simply a bio-chemical reaction to certain environmental stimuli, so again, naturally life must precede love.’  The Pantheist would say ‘Nature or the universe is god, therefore life had to precede love because before there was anything, there was nothing that could love.’  The Monotheist might have a better answer which I will explore in my next post.

Stay Hungry,
Tim