Welcome back! In this episode of the DwJ series, Zach and Brian explore chapters 6–8 of Deconstruct with Jesus: “Take Me Back to Eden,” “The Wounded Healer,” and “We’re in the Endgame Now.”They unpack the opening chapters of Genesis—not as a science debate, but as a poetic, theological vision of God’s intent for creation, humanity’s vocation, and what went wrong. Along the way, they reframe sin as a shortcut and a sickness to be healed, wrestle with the hope that God’s endgame is restoration, and offer practical ways to resist despair in a chaotic world.

Timecodes

[00:00] – Intro: Why combine chapters and move beyond literalism debates

[06:00] – Genesis as ancient myth: God’s intent for creation and humanity’s role

[14:00] – Not perfect—just good: why perfection was never the point

[20:00] – Humanity’s vocation: expanding the garden with God

[23:45] – The fall as shortcut: wanting good things in the wrong way and time

[33:00] – Gratitude as the antidote to temptation

[36:30] – Consequences, exile, and the hope embedded from the beginning

[43:00] – Deconstruction and letting go of old Bible baggage

[49:00] – The Wounded Healer: reframing sin as sickness, not crime

[52:30] – Salvation through solidarity: Christ as the one who takes on our sickness to heal us

[55:00] – The endgame: choosing hope over despair and nihilism

[58:30] – Signs of hope in the world (even if they don’t make the news)

Key Takeaways

• ​Genesis offers a symbolic vision of God’s intention for creation and humanity’s calling, not a science textbook.
• ​Sin is best understood as taking shortcuts—grasping for good things before their time—instead of trusting God’s process.
• ​Viewing sin as sickness shifts the focus from judgment to healing, with Christ entering our brokenness to restore us.
• ​Faith in God’s “endgame” invites hope and purposeful living, even when the world feels chaotic.

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