Origin Stories
Where did we come from and does it matter?
ABOVE: My grandparents store
As part of my New Year’s plan, I decided to read through the Bible, starting in Genesis. So far, I’m on schedule and enjoying the journey.
Genesis was written by Moses to the Israelites after he led them out of slavery in Egypt. They had been in slavery for 400 years and had no idea who they were, why they were there, or how to live. Moses needed to tell them their “back story,” their “origin story” of where they came from, which would direct them in where they were going.
Genesis is not intended to be a scientific lesson on how the Earth was created, by rather to teach us about God’s leading, who we are in relation to Him, and how we should care for and relate to the Earth and other people. This general understanding can direct our worldview and help us understand who we are and what we should do next.
At about the same time, I also started reading the William Least Heat-Moon book “PrairyErth.” This 1991 book is a deep dive into the history of Chase County, Kansas. This is part of my “Origin Story” not because I am a native that descended from the Kanza, Pawnee, or Osage people, which I am not, but rather because my ancestors were early immigrants to North America from Europe. That makes me “Euro-American” which is a much more descriptive term than my skin color.
A little bit of genealogy research tells me that my ancestors, the people I came from, were merchants, self-employed, hard-working people that cared about helping others more than accumulating wealth. Nobody in my family cared about power, or climbing a corporate ladder, or accumulating money. The family values that were passed down were enjoying life, helping others, and leaving the world a better place than it was when they found it.
Each of us has an origin story, even if we don’t know it, or have not thought about it. It is important to have that story in mind to direct us in determining the path of life we want to follow.
That back story does not have to determine our fate. We can change our direction and do something completely different. When my ancestors came from Europe it was a major change and required much faith, determination, and some sacrifice. If our back story is leading us down a road we don’t like, it may take a lot of effort and maybe sacrifice to make changes.
Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery changed the trajectory of their story and the whole world, but it was not easy. I know many people who are figuratively enslaved by any number of negative forces in their lives. Moses isn’t here to send plagues against Pharoah for us to break those chains, but changing the direction of our life may require a major act of God or personal courage on our part.
Understanding our origin story as best we can and considering whether that is the path we want to continue is a fascinating process. Will we be the one that makes the move, takes a chance, risks more than we ever might imagine to make a difference for our future?