In The Garden

In the Garden of Eden, God gave man two simple instructions:
Don’t eat of the Tree-Of-The-Knowledge-Of-Good-And Evil and
Be fruitful and multiply.
That’s it? That’s all He is going to say? Christ is already “the Lamb that has been slain from before the foundation of the world”; surely God knows how complex life’s questions will be! This is just way too easy; way too simple. There must be more? Look again.

Within these instructions lie the essential elements of life.
In essence God is saying, “Be respectful of boundaries. Take only what Life freely gives you and use it to expand your horizons. Use your gifts to create space and sustenance for your children.” Like God himself, be creative. Where there is little, produce more, not for your own consumption, but for the benefit of those who come after. We call this life principle “Love”. This is the path to life without death, good without evil, growth without destruction symbolized by eating of the Tree-of-Life.

The serpent coiled in the Tree-Of-The-Knowledge-Of-Good-And-Evil in essence said, “The Life that begot you will not provide for you. You must take what is yours. If Life is not giving you what you want, then you must take control yourself. Here, take it.” We call this the principle of “Selfishness”. The problem with this approach to life is that it destroys boundaries; the one who takes this course becomes an invasive species, a cancer that is never satisfied. He is like a forest fire that consumes ever more, but never gives back. Instead of creating it consumes. “You will surely die”.

Notice what each life principle says about the nature of the universe.
Love says, “The universe is a place of abundance and prosperity. I have enough. I am content. I have more than I need. I am resourceful, that is full of resources. I don’t have to worry about my own welfare, the love that begot me provides; rather, my time, energy and resources are devoted to the creation of new wealth which I devote to the welfare of others.”

Selfishness on the other hand says, “The universe is stingy, it is a place of penuriousness and poverty. God hasn’t given me everything I need. It is survival of the fittest. I must devote time, energy and resources to hoarding what I have and competing with others for more.” The reward at the end of this path is the knowledge of evil.

Each paradigm is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the garden of your innocence God presents you with a choice. Which will it be?