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Opinion: There's something to be learned today from ancient stories.

About 3,500 years ago, the ruling class of Egypt believed that chaos could devour the world at any moment.

In the waters under the flat Earth, the vicious dragon, Apophis, waited for an opportunity to destroy everything. But the sun god, Ra, prevented that. Each evening Ra would finish his journey across the celestial waters and descend into the underworld. There, he would battle Apophis and cut it down.

Dawn was a celebration because it meant that Apophis had not destroyed our home. Ra had saved the world yet again. And though Apophis regenerated itself during the day, Ra’s steady return to the underworld meant that the destruction of the world was held in check. Human life could continue. (And the children of Ra, the rulers of Egypt, could keep on conquering and enslaving their neighbours.)


Enter the Jewish people and a different faith. Page one of the Bible reveals a new world picture. The earth is still flat. There are waters below and above. The sun appears, and all the starry lights too. But there is one big difference in this picture. The cosmos is stripped of gods.

According to the new faith the world does not remain a stable home for us because one of the gods holds in check the evil intentions of another. The world is trustworthy because there is one god. He enjoys creating and sustaining a world that is full of glory and wonders, and is a welcoming home for human beings. It is the theatre in which we can create our societies.

(There is also a dragon-serpent in the Bible’s story. However, it doesn’t show up till later. It causes a lot of damage. But it turns out to be a kind of misguided parasite whose future is doomed.)

Well, we might say, imaginative stories. But what can they mean for people today?

I would suggest this: People continue to live in fear of chaos.

Screenwriters play with these fears in zombie apocalypse movies. Doctors and national health agencies address such fears more seriously by quarantining people and holding back the advance of COVID-19. Governments create police departments to prevent drug dealers and white collar criminals from unleashing their own brands of chaos. Every dictator, no matter their political leanings, justifies military takeover and torture by declaring that without cracking down on dissidents their country will fall apart.

Some people claim that we can live very well without the god presented on page one of the Bible. I do not agree. Without trust in a god who has created the world and who continues to order the word in such a way that human societies can flourish if they so choose, fears of the sky falling are much easier to come by. And we become more susceptible to fearmongering propaganda.

As it turns out, the Nazis were wrong when they said that without them chaos would devour Germany. Communists were wrong when they said Russia would fall apart with them. Republicans are incorrect in claiming that the United States cannot survive without their brand of politics. So are the Democrats.

Some gender researchers claim that male domination and heterosexism are the greatest sources of the world’s evils. Canadian industrialists are spreading a false gospel in stating that the world will die without an ever increasing standard of living.

These perspectives are exaggerated. And my point is that without trust in a god who gives the world its life-affirming order, such exaggerations become more common and stronger.

So, I would say, work hard with the opportunities that God has laid out before you. Pray for his will to be done in the world. Do not panic with every hyper-inflated opinion you come across on your preferred websites.

Be calm and strong. Count on God to stay with you to make life work for you and your community.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.