Alright, so in this Father Simon Says podcast episode, Fr. Simon tackles the big, watery question: Was there actually a Great Flood?

🛶 So… Was There a Giant Ark with Every Animal Ever?

Fr. Simon acknowledges that flood stories show up all over ancient cultures: from Babylonian legends to theories about the Black Sea suddenly filling up like a divine bathtub overflow. 🛁💥 Here’s his key point:

👉 Genesis isn’t written like a news report. It’s not about the “how” and “what” nearly as much as it’s about the why.

📖 “Earth” vs. “The Land”: What’s in a Word?

Here’s where Fr. Simon gets into the Hebrew which can help us better understand the context. When Genesis talks about “the earth” being flooded, it uses the word “Eretz”, which can mean:

-The land

-The country

-The area where people lived

So, when Scripture says, “the earth”, it might not mean the entire spinning globe we imagine. It could be referring to their world, the land they knew. 🌍✨

💔 Can God Actually Be… Sorry?

Fr. Simon mentions that God was grieved by humanity’s wickedness. Now, ancient philosophers (like the Stoics) thought gods couldn’t feel emotions, but the Bible tells a different story. God, who created emotions, chooses to feel grief.

This matters: it shows a God who’s not cold and distant but deeply connected to His creation, even when it breaks His heart.

🐑 The Ark as a Reset Button

Why all the animals? Why the specific “seven pairs of clean animals” and “one pair of unclean”? Even before the Law of Moses, there was this sense of purity and sacrifice.

But zooming out: Fr. Simon points out that the flood narrative is creation in reverse. Water, in ancient symbolism, represented chaos. In Genesis 1, God calms the chaos and brings order (aka Logos). The flood? It’s like God hitting the reset button on creation, pushing back into chaos to then bring about something new.

💡 Big Takeaway?

Fr. Simon wants us to see the heart of the story:

-God responds to human sin seriously, but with a plan for renewal. 🌱

-The flood isn’t just judgment; it’s also about mercy and a fresh start.

Deep waters, deep thoughts. 💦

The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS