It started with the photo on the cover of the current edition of our German-language magazine. While considering the source of light and darkness on earth, I came across the different the Bible makes between “making” and “creating.” The Hebrew word for “creation” (b’ria – בריאה) and “created” (bara – ברא) are only used in connection with God. No other figure in the Bible has these words used in association with anything they “made.” From the biblical point of view, creation is the act of making something out of nothing. In contrast, one understands the Hebrew words for “doing” (עושה) and “making” (יוצר) the act of “creating” out of something, or everything. That begs the question: What is the opposite of nothing? Is it everything, or just something?

The biblical text clearly emphasizes that creation is only possible by the hand of God. Only He can create something new out of nothing. The prophet Jeremiah (31) says: “The Lord will create a new thing on earth.” In addition to creating, the...