God speaks
In the beginning God was alone.
And he made room in himself, and he created: the heavens and the world.
And the world was wild and empty, and deep the darkness above the waters.
God spoke: "Let there be light!" and nobody was there to hear it. But light there was.
And God spoke to the light, he called it "Day", and to the darkness, he called it "Night". That came about on the first day.
God spoke to the waters, and the waters gave way for the earth.
God spoke to the earth, and the earth gave grass, flowers, trees.
God spoke to the sky, and the sky began to light up: Sun, moon and stars.
And still God was alone.
Then God spoke to the water, to the earth and to the sky, and they filled themselves with life.
And God spoke: The first blessing!
Then God created mankind, according to his own likeness, with his own hands.
And God spoke, for the first time, to mankind, and mankind listened. And God saw that it was good, and he rested from work.
And mankind spoke to the animals, gave them names, and so they were named.
One animal, however — the snake — spoke to mankind, and mankind spoke to it, and ate the forbidden fruit, and was ashamed, and hid himself.
And God called mankind, and spoke to them, and the man spoke about the woman, and the woman spoke about the snake, and at the end God spoke: The first curse!
And mankind lost paradise.
Two people became four, but Cain spoke first to his brother Abel, then he killed him. And Abel's blood cried out to God, and God spoke: Judgement over Cain.
Later, God spoke to Abraham, and Abraham spoke to God, and it was good, in spite of all sorrow and pain.
Again and again God spoke to mankind.
He spoke to Cain, the murderer, and to Noah, the righteous one.
However, he did not speak to those in Babel, nor did he suffer their speech any longer.
He spoke to Abraham, and Abraham obeyed without much ado.
He spoke to Jacob, and Jacob set up conditions.
He spoke to Moses, and Moses asked questions.
God spoke to all three, to Moses, however, most of all.
Many followed Moses, and God spoke to them all, to Jonah through fish and worm, to Elijah through fire and silence, to Isaiah in visions. And through them he spoke to his people, Israel, again and again. God spoke through people to the people. And the people heard the word of God, and some they understood, and some was unintelligible to them, and some they did not want to understand.
But God kept speaking. He spoke through prophets and through kings, through farmers and through herdsmen. He spoke in word and in action, in love and in anger. He never gave up Israel. And Israel never gave him up, not completely.
Nevertheless the prophets died, and the mouth of God seemed shut for mankind.
Until it was time for the greatest word.
Because in the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and God was The Word. And The Word became flesh, and lived among us, as a human being among others, because The Word was a man:
Jesus.
And Jesus spoke.
He spoke to the crippled ones, and they straightened up.
He spoke to the paralysed ones, and they were able to move.
He spoke to the blind, and their eyes opened.
He spoke to the dead, and they returned to life.
However, he spoke also to the wise ones, and they did not listen.
He spoke to the strong ones, and they did not care.
He spoke to the healthy ones, and they took ill his being with the sick.
However, he kept on speaking, with words and with actions. Because words without actions are empty, like a bottle without water, they leave one behind thirsty in the desert.
But they wanted to silence his actions, so they crucified him.
And at the cross he spoke the last words, least expected of him: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
And he died. And deep was the silence above the land. Deathlike silence.
On the Third Day women went to the grave to bury him for ever, and all their hopes with him.
The grave, however, was empty, and somebody spoke to them: "He is not here. He is risen!"
And Jesus spoke to the sad ones on the way to Emmaus, and to Peter the Denier, and to Thomas the doubter.
And he spoke: "Peace be with you!" and they believed again.
And he spoke: "I am with you all days, to the end of the age.":
Because The Word of God remains eternally. It does not fade away, but echoes on, as on the first day.