Bad apples? Wendy Pattinson’s Thought for the week
‘There are two trees in the Garden that each hold powerful medicine.’
The tale of Adam and Eve would originally have been told as a wisdom story, explaining humans’ place in creation. But, to me, the way it has been written down and interpreted is unhelpful, even possibly harmful. Indeed, I think Jesus’ ministry challenges it.
In the oral tradition, stories evolve and are adapted for their audience. In this spirit I’ve re-imagined how the story might be told today.
God said, ‘There are two trees in the Garden that each hold powerful medicine: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You may taste the fruit of these trees but you will be sick if you consume them.’
Adam and Eve went to the tree of life and tasted its fruit and immediately fell into a dream. They saw themselves, a woman and a man formed from the clay of the earth. They looked around themselves in the Garden and saw that all manner of trees, plants and animals grew and multiplied in the Garden, and that they died and returned to the dust from which they were made. New life was created from the dust. They saw that they also multiplied. New people were created, who would die and return to dust. They saw that all of creation was connected in the eternal web of life. The air was filled with laughter and birdsong.
Later they went to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and tasted its fruit. They saw the Garden and all of creation was a precious gift. They saw that it was good! They looked upon each other and the Garden with love, and were filled with joy.
Then they forgot God’s warning and ate greedily the fruit of the tree of life. Again, they fell into a dream and saw themselves under the tree. The plants, animals and trees grew and multiplied, and then died and returned to dust. They saw that humans also multiplied. These humans wanted to be immortal, like God. They ate the animals and plants in the Garden in such quantities that many of them perished. The web of life was damaged and the air was filled with groans and wailing.
Adam and Eve forgot God’s warning again and ate greedily of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They saw that they were created in God’s image and that the rest of creation was theirs to use as they wished. In telling them to only taste this fruit, God had sought to keep the riches of creation from them. So they plundered creation and still wanted more. They noticed thistles and biting insects, thought them evil, and sought to destroy them. They looked upon each other and each saw that the other was greedy and ungrateful. In their mutual loathing they saw that they were naked and alone, and they were ashamed.
And God said, ‘Now you have learned of your place within creation as the loving, caring, conscious part of the web of life. You are made in my image, so can choose to fulfil your caring role, or you can choose to do otherwise. You can be creators or destroyers. Choose well’.
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