Gn 2:18-25
The LORD God said:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him.”
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
So in light of the literary aspects of this Genesis story and the biology major in me that is like no way did woman come from the RIB of a man...what I find touching about this passage is how it speaks to the beauty of companionship. Not only in terms of man and woman but also nature and animals. I can look outside and find comfort and awe in the intricacies and bounty of nature, or I can pet my dog sitting next to me and be warmed (literally) by his cuddly-ness and loyalty and most of all I can find strength and joy in the companionship of a most wonderful man that God has blessed me with in my life. Scientists name plants and animals as they discover them and we humans continue to name our offspring if we are fortunate enough to be blessed with them. The cycle continues and signs of the gifts of companionship that God gives us abound!
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