Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The second telling of the creation of humankind: Genesis 2:6-7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed...
but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
The Unity Perspective
Unity studies the Bible on three levels. Literal, Moral and Spiritual. The stories of Genesis, meaning beginnings, are called allegories, and are intended to answer the questions of the people. The story of Adam and Eve answers the question, where did we come from?
On the literal level, the story of Adam and Eve credits God with the creation of humankind. On the moral level, we see that there is something greater than self.
The spiritual level is where we can most benefit. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Adam and Eve symbolize the human part of our nature. Beyond Adam and Eve, there is the spark of divinity within, which truly makes us God's children. Jesus and Mary symbolize the higher, spiritual being. Genesis 1 describes the spiritual man, and Genesis 2, the carnal man. Metaphysically, man represents thinking, and woman represents feeling.
Each of us has within, a thinking and a feeling nature. The fields of both sociology and psychology agree, typically men tend to be thinkers and women tend to be feelers. This does not mean women can't think and men can't feel. In Chinese cultures this is called yin-yang energy. Defined: In everything male/positive/assertive, there is a bit of female/negative/passive, and vise-versa.
We each have both faculties, yet we, are stronger in one or the other. We are equal but different. We were created that way for a purpose. Men were typically the protectors and providers, while women brought love and nurture. It was in balance.
We currently live in a patriarchal culture, or male dominated. Male politicians outnumber female politicians. Women only earn $.76 cents for every $1.00 their male counterparts receive for the same type of job. And this is in spite of the equal pay act of 1963. There are more male executives than female.
In the past fifty years, women have made progress, yet we remain very much out of balance. Balance is the key word. If the male-to-female ratio were reversed, we would continue to be unbalanced. Where the current culture lacks sensitivity, a reversed ratio would be too sensitive. We must also keep in mind that within each of us is our own male-to-female nature, which we need to bring into balance.
I have observed signs of hope, with increasing numbers of people balancing their yin-yang energy. Many men are now supporting women in their efforts for equal rights, developing sensitivity to our fellow human beings around the world, the environment, and what really matters in life.
Unfortunately, it looks like patriarchy is not going to pass without a fight. Perhaps it is because of a fear of being emasculated by feminism. This is where we need to remember the importance of balance. Balance does not mean that we will become a matriarchal culture, or homogeneous. We will remain our unique selves, equal but different.
It is at this point, the spiritual man/woman of Genesis 1 comes in. As we strive to align with God's law, or Spiritual Principle, the carnal man responds to the higher vibration of the spiritual man. The journey is a long one, as the gravitational pull of carnality is strong and compelling. Yet once we succeed, we will live in peace, prosperity, health, and all that is good.
If you would like to know more about the Unity teaching on the Genesis allegories, you may want to read "Mysteries of Genesis," by Charles Fillmore, or "Let There Be Light," by Elizabeth Sand Turner
Rev. Alicia Leslie
Spirit of Unity
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