In the beginning, God created man, in his own image, pure and glorious, but mortal and limited.
In all the universe there was only God and man, and man imploded from the transcendent glory of it all.
"Shit," God said.
Just after the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Then, God created man, in his own image, pure and glorious, but mortal and limited.
Man looked up and saw the infinite expanse of the heavens. "Wow!" he sighed. And that was his last breath, for there was no atmosphere, and man choked his tortured way back out of life.
Just after just after the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Then He separated the light from the darkness, and even created some air, though the Lord didn't cause that bit to be written down, and then and only then did God create man, in his own image, pure and glorious, but mortal and limited.
"Wow!" man sighed, "What a beautiful sight." Then he inhaled, tasting the pure night air, and he looked around. Above was beauty, but all around him was night. Man trembled like a non-existent dog in fear, and burst into the world's first tears.
"I'm scared!" Then the man, who couldn't see where he was going, wandered into the endless oceans, and drowned the second miserable death (implosion due to excess glory being a pretty good death, all things considered).
"Well, shit," God said again. And the Lord crumpled everything up and started over. Just after just after just after, heavens, earth, light, dark, (air), and then the Lord most high separated water from water, and then he shaped clay into the shape of a man, most like a god."Wait a minute," God said.
God thought for a moment, then with a wave of his hand set the greater and lesser lights in the heavens, to glorify the land and accustom man to wonder. God brought forth flowers from the mud, to sooth and comfort man. And he brought forth fish of the sea, beasts of the land, and birds of the air.
Then, and only then, did the Lord most high create man, pure and glorious, but mortal and limited. And man looked upon the sky and found it wondrous. And man looked upon the land and found it good. And man looked upon the plants and the beasts and found among them comfort for body and spirit.
And man was not lonely, for his world was a good one, but he was haunted by fears, deep fears that made him weep as he walked through the great good garden that was the world. The first man feared death, though he knew it not, and darkness, and even the Lord Creator himself. And though he knew not why, he dreamt of drowning and choking, and of his very soul imploding. And the first man did not sleep well at all.
And the Lord saw this, and he thought, what will balance a man who fears life and glory? Who fears what came before, and what will come after, though he knows them not?
God thought for a long time, and eventually he brought forth woman. Woman knew none of these fears, and was consolation and glory embodied, distraction from fear, and worth fighting fear for.
Man woke, and found that something new was in the world. This experience taught him limitations, and opened the door to humility, and suggested that in sleep there is creation, but all that came later. When the man woke, still shuddering from fear of the world, there was woman, whole and lucent. And man smiled the first relaxed smile of universe, and woman smiled back.
And then, the Lord looked upon all that he had made, and he found it good.