What are we made of? Skin, bones and innards? You’ve probably heard that human beings are over 60% water – a solid majority. A more scientific approach might suggest ‘chemicals’. To delve even deeper, atoms and molecules. But apart from the infinitesimal particles of nuclei, the vast majority of atoms are empty space. For that matter, nearly all of space is empty space – but the interesting bits are the tiny portions that aren’t: stars, galaxies, the dust of nebulae. Everything in the universe is comprised of these same elements – formed in the nuclear furnaces of stars, showered out into space in super nova explosions, reconfigured.
For the romantics, we’re all made of stardust. For others we’re the waste products of nuclear explosions. No doubt you’ve heard we’re ‘nothing but’ our neurons, or ‘nothing but’ chemicals (we’re 99% comprised of 6 elements). Such reductionist nonsense may be accurate at one level, but misses the truth. We are ‘much more than’, not ‘nothing but’.
The Bible tells us that the man (Hebrew adam) was formed from the dust of the ground adamah (Gen 2:7). Do we take this literally? Truth is deeper than superficial literalness – it’s about meaning. Clever theologians have tried to capture the Hebrew wordplay (adam / adamah) in English: we are groundlings, formed from the ground. Earthlings formed from the earth! There’s a vital relational truth there – we’re part of creation, not separate from it. Made ‘from’ the earth and ‘for’ the earth (1:26). In fact, ALL our fellow creatures were also formed from the ground (1:24).
But there’s more to it than that. The text actually says formed from the ‘dust’ (Hebrew apar) of the ground. Every ancient civilization had creation stories – and humans were always formed from clay, not dust! (Generally also mixed with the blood or spittle of various gods after deadly battle). Everyone knew that clay was used to form things. Dust was useless. Hebrew had a perfectly good word for clay, but chose dust – why? Dust had another meaning. ‘For dust you are and to dust you shall return’ (Gen 3:19). We hear this at every funeral – ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Dust is death. It symbolises mortality.
The result of the Fall, surely? Hmmm… Adam (man) was formed from the dust of mortality and must return to dust. Not so much a ‘fall’ as a missed opportunity. Eternal life would have to wait.
