Our spring issue of 2016 compels us to re-start our New Year with a reflection on creation. The theme has inspired poets and preachers, as well as the ancient rabbis who gave the theme the prestigious place at the beginning of the Bible. According to a legend, the book of Job was a contender as the head of the Bible, but the sages agreed that the story of the Bible should begin with creation, not with suffering. Firmly grounded in this tradition, many of our authors direct us to the first part of the book of Genesis.
In this issue on creation, we encounter voices that challenge us to learn to value the life of the oppressed for whom God cares. They tell us that God has created human beings in God’s own image, and that every person helps us see God in all spectrums of colors and physical manifestations.