Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-13
Introduction
We know this story so well. A divine garden of bountiful peace and harmony. It is all so… good. Even all so very good. But then it happened. “Fall.” Not the season, but “The Fall.” The very good human beings do something they weren’t supposed to, and as a result is “The Fall” away from God, a separation between God and humans, is created. Paradise is lost. Innocence is gone. Instead of fellowship with God there is shame, hiding, and finger pointing.
From this point on there will be a hunger of the spirit that can never quite be fulfilled; a gap never to be bridged on our own; a disconnect between God and humanity. And “The Fall” began a domino effect of fall after fall after fall—so common, so frequent that we’ve when a fall is uncovered— because no one ever intends to fall—a person will ask, “Now how did that happen?”
Move 1
In a stand-up bit comedian Jim Gaffigan tells about the time he looked at himself in a full length mirror and noticed his bulging midriff, realizing this unfortunate condition would require him hold his breath while sucking in his gut far enough to button his pants. Through his antics, demonstration, and sketch caricature voices regarding this endeavor, he gives up and in exasperation exclaims, “Now how did that happen?!”
And like all good, reasonable, innocent, victimized human beings do, he arrived at the conclusion, “It must have been the wedding reception last week” followed by the rationale that all his issues of “pudginess” had to have happened—without warning—from one big meal. A big meal that was part of a celebration he was invited to; a celebration that had he not over indulged as he did, he would have been rude and ruined the entire celebration and thus, “by the transitive property of universal connections”, would have ruined the newly wed couple’s entire marriage, thus giving him the right to say, “It wasn’t my fault.”
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Now when I couple this comedic bit with today’s text (borderline blasphemous, I know) in my mind’s eye I picture Adam and Eve looking at each other in shock, looking at their sad state outside of the Garden, fully aware, not only of their nakedness, but also worried of what will now happen because of their poor choice (as though there had been no warning) and exclaiming, “Now how did that happen?! It wasn’t my fault”
They never intended to sin. They never set-out to disobey God. No one ever does, right? Sin… Fall… they just happen. But they are still beyond our ability to overcome, and so we will always need something beyond us to bridge the gap caused by our Fall.
Move 2
The Genesis story of what became of the perfection of the garden seems, on the surface, to have an easy answer to the question “Now how did that happen?!”
The “Human-Side” of this story has been told and unpacked far below the surface for generations. The “God-Side” of the story, however, hasn’t because it seems cut and dry, but really it’s often misunderstood.
And it’s understandable to misunderstand such because we can no more understand the divine perspective—the “God-Side” of the story— than a man can understand what it is like to go through child birth, or how some wives can’t seem to understand why the NCAA Basketball tournament requires some husbands to be fed intravenously for four days. (I heard you say dinner is ready, but I can’t leave the couch! No my phone is not on, and yes I do need to keep my earbuds in.)
The classic understanding of God’s side of the story is as a “set up” where the man and woman are given a prohibition and fail to “pass the test” and as a result lose their innocence and their relationship with God. From this “Human-Side” understanding of the story, the focus is on the power of the temptation. What gets misunderstood though is God is not setting-up a pass fail test. (Remember, we talked about this last week.)
The “God-Side” of this story is God as a parent who does everything to protect God’s children from the dangers of life. But also, God as a parent who gives the man and woman freedom to explore life to the fullest, and then the opportunity to make choices—aware the children are not completely able to handle everything that makes up the garden.
Like God, parents know failures will come and pain will follow if they grant their child freedom to grow. But parents have to let their children grow. Our parents did it for us, giving us over time more and more freedom so we could grow and become—but aware that in doing so we their children would mess up, get it wrong, and fall. It’s part of growing.
So instead of hearing God’s warning as “You shall not eat, or else… ” we would do well to imagine God saying, “Don’t try to have knowledge of good and evil. You aren’t wired to handle it. And the consequences of trying to live outside of my commands are costly. You will lose your spiritual core and your choice to try to live without me will mean a loss of your relationship with me, and it will break my heart.”
When the Human-Side of this text gives way to the God-Side then the answer to “Now how did that happen?” takes on a whole different meaning. And we see God not as a harsh punisher, but instead as a loving parent who doesn’t want to see us fall. Because no parent ever wants to see their child fall.
Move 3
The saddest words of this text are: “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…” We can hear the isolation, separation and despair. “Their eyes were opened” because their spirits were closed—closed to what their parent had told them. Certainly something we all can relate to.
The immediate communion they had with God is now replaced with shame, suspicion and blame; replaced with “not my fault, she made me do it” “not my fault, the devil made me do it.” But all of them are defense mechanisms and shallow responses to the question “Now how did that happen?!”
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To all of this, human beings bring a contemporary view that we are inherently flawed human beings. We look at ourselves in the mirror and instead of seeing a reflection of divinity, we see a reflection we loath, or we look around for the “serpent” that made us do it and blame it/them. Be it our physical appearance that requires us to suck in our guts and stretch our pants, or be it the reminder we have made poor choices— we see it all and in our despair we want to hide and cover ourselves up. We want defend ourselves from the truth of the looming question, “Now how did that happen?” But we soon discover we cannot talk our way out, nor hide from this threatening question.
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We know this story so well—but do we? Because we often forget God’s view of who we are, of what we are—spiritual beings who were designed for a relationship with God.
Genesis tells us God created us in God’s divine image, giving us life with the very breath of God. Apart from our spiritual nature we are “lifeless” in the deepest spiritual sense, and knowledge of evil has “blown our circuits” of that spiritual sense because although we are created in the image of God, we are not God.
But though we are not Divine, we bear the divine image. And just like a good and loving parent, God sees us as we are—God’s children, who fell, and need help getting back up from that fall.
Conclusion
The creation story, the fall, the separation and the gap between us and God runs core to this season of Lent—a season in which this year we are striving to seek out what in us needs cultivating and what needs let go. But for such to happen, and for us to truly capture the divine magnitude of what Jesus will do for us again on the cross, we must first recognize our fall, our need for help in getting back up and how that help comes to us. Not as a test. Not as a means to avoid punishment, but as an opportunity, lovingly given, so we can learn, rise-up, grow, and continue to become.
We can do such by listening for God’s call of “Where are you?” and not pointing fingers to blame someone else.
We can do such by asking, “Now how did that happen?” and honestly answering by looking into the mirror, seeing who we are, who we have become, and see not shame and regret, not a victim of someone’s temptation, but rather see who God sees—God’s child who has a loving heavenly parent ready to pick us up from our fall.
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We know the creation story so well…but do we? Because from the beginning God has been cultivating…a garden…and cultivating the opportunity for us to let go of all that causes us to Fall.
And when we allow such to happen, then the “very good”-ness of God becomes again the way of life for God’s children. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, March 20, 2022 Lent 3
Creator God, we have been through a Lenten season before, made aware of our falls and sins. And we know how it ends— the death of your son, the resurrection of our savior, the forgiveness of our falls and sins
But what we often forget is why it happened—because from the beginning you wanted only for your children to have good life through your ways, your truth, your grace.
As faithful followers O Lord, we seek to be your hands and heart in the world, yet we do often fall.
Our time is limited and we cannot stop for all of the needs around us.
Our hands are tight and we’re afraid to give away too much.
Our energy is used up in our daily work and responsibilities and there is little left at the end of the day.
But we know these are all finger pointing.
We know what you expect, yet our efforts become only good intentions, we frequently lose focus, we often lose touch with your ways, truth, and grace.
Forgive us for our inability to live richly in the abundant grace you offer.
Forgive us for the choices we make that are outside your way.
Forgive us for the opportunities we fail to take though the need is great.
We pray that in this season we think we know so well, you will create new spirits within us, and show us what can really happen when we allow your ways, your truth, your grace—as they were from the beginning to guide our ways and choices.
For just as the resurrection is a miracle, so is your ability to bring about new and renewed life even from the hardest of falls.
And so we pray in this season of cultivating and letting go you will help us open our hearts and spirits to your ways, your truth, your grace, raise us up from our fall, and show us again the opportunities to share the abundance of new life that is possible through your son.
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Hear now, the prayers of our individual hearts and minds this day as we come to you in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”