The Kindness of Men and God

Genesis is the beginning. The book ratifies that statement with its first line, “In the

beginning,…”(Genesis 1, Verse 1) It defines itself as the starting point of creation, as God

creates the airy heavens and the formless void: Earth. In his creation of life, the universe, and

everything, God creates a paradoxical creature. This creature is unique from his other creations

because it shares commonality with God, not only in form, but also in thought. This creature is

Man. Man, to whom free will is given, is the only creation in which God is the mold. Free will is

the gift of individuality, of one’s ability to choose, and choose poorly. This freedom allows an

evolution of character that defines humanity. The defiance of God by Eve and then her deception

of Adam is a display of this freedom (Genesis 3). Violence and deceit develop as cultural norms

in Genesis from God, but to end the cycle of transgressions and through free will, basic kindness

is born. This evolution is depicted in the change from violent animalistic reactions and outbursts

to the deceptive nature of man to a kind and forgiving nature resulting from generations in

proximity. Kindess, as a trait, does not come from divine creation in Genesis, but is birthed from

social experience.

Rage is a purely emotional response. It is a cleansing fire which removes the brush and

undergrowth from a forest, searing reason from one’s mind. Rage is explicit in Genesis as seen

by the interactions between Cain and Abel, the third and fourth humans. Cain’s reaction to God’s

favoritism towards his brother Abel causes such a rage. It consumes Cain to the point of

fratricide, luring Abel to his death with the chilling message, “Come, let us go out to the field”

(Genesis 5, Verse 8). The first act of human violence is a direct result of emotional rage.

Violence is not uniquely human. In Genesis, God displays more violence than any other

character. When his creation displeased God, he flooded the Earth in a mass genocide. When
faced with the evil cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, God burned them in hellfire, and turned those

who gazed on the city into a pillar of salt. As the supreme omnipotent being in all of creation,

God should be able to solve problems without having to destroy his creations as a first reaction.

In the case of the Tower of Babel, God did find a way to achieve his goals without mass killings:

deceit. “…nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go

down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech,”

is God’s reaction seeing the tower (Genesis 11, Verse 9). This statement does not display the

confidence of a god. It is made with a fearful tone. God is not a functioning member of the

society member in Genesis.

God, however, is not a normal member of society. His status as creator exempts him from

certain judgement; for who is man to judge God? If God created existence, then would it not

follow that he created morality, and that his decisions are thusly by definition just? God’s

definition of justice revolves around the relationship between himself and his creation. His model

requires absolute obedience and pleasing God, the failure of which results in at the very least a

curse. God’s justice is not suitable for human society and culture: it is too extreme and one

dimensional. A system where all an individual’s decency is based around their relationship with

a sole member of society, no matter that member’s importance, is not functional. Even if God is

just by divinity, or any other reason as an omnipotent being, he is not just by human standards.

Although, there is an exception to God’s behavior: “And the Lord God made garments of

skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3, 21). The fashioning of clothes

for Adam and Eve complicates man’s relationship with God. Despite the situation, God does

help his creation, not simply for basic needs, as they already have primitive clothes, but to

comfort Adam and Eve. This is uncharacteristic of God in the rest of Genesis.
 Jacob’s life is riddled with acts of deceit. He wrongs others, is wronged, and when given the

opportunity to atone for those wrongs, Jacob disappoints those he cheated. Interactions in his life

hinge around deception, dealt or received, painting this society as one that does not value

honesty and associates it with stupidity. These beliefs could result from survival instinct. If the

only way for the physically weak to defeat the strong, it is then logical to practice deception. But

why is this necessary? These interactions do not take place between great enemies, but between

close family members. Literally pitting brother against brother and son against father is a

bewildering action for an agrarian society, in which they rely on each other for survival.

This behavior is impressively counter intuitive, meaning that it is most likely individual

choice, a result of human error. Jacob’s actions have little reason in terms of survival. His

manipulations stem not from instinct, but from his culture which endorses such behavior. Esau,

Jacob’s brother, is an interesting exception in Genesis, in that he does not perpetuate the tradition

of retributive justice. By sparing Jacob’s life, Esau demonstrates a kindness that begins an

evolution of their society.

The pattern of unwarranted kindness continues with Joseph, who is wronged arguably more

so than any other character in Genesis. He has reason aplenty to seek retribution. When his

antagonists are delivered into his power, Joseph, after testing their character, chooses to spare

them. While not unconditional, Joseph defies cultural norms through kindness and forgiving

those who wronged him. His actions acknowledge the fact that their society functions better

under a system of just kindness.

The culture of God’s chosen people is perplexing. They are the initial humans modeled after

the creator, and yet they are prone to both treachery and brutality. Prior to the expulsion from

Eden, man had never tasted flesh, much less killed another human. The first social interactions
between people are deceiving and murdering one another. Within two generations of human

creation, their society is no longer functioning. Maybe these traits are not inherently human, but

remnant from God? Kindness, in the context of Genesis, is a human trait that results from

borderline societal breakdown. God does not necessarily display kindness; the gifts he bestows

on humans benefit himself in the pursuit of continuing being worshipped. Eve, God’s “gift” to

Adam, exists to continue the human species, just as Isaac is given to Abraham to test his

devotion. Social experience shows that the conscious choice of kindness is required to have a

functioning community, without which there is a fundamental breakdown in civilization.