In Genesis 2-3, the story is told of the “fall of humankind”. It is one of the most popular stories in American culture. In particular, it is often used to put women in their perceived place. I have a new spin to put on it.
There were many trees in the garden that bore good fruit. God called the attention of the humans to two trees that were in the middle of the garden. One was the tree of knowledge of good and evil–it would nourish the mind. The other was the tree of life–it would nourish the whole body.
God said, Eat from the tree of life. But do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because in the day that you eat from it, you will begin to starve and you will die.”
The humans wondered why God would say such a thing. God was wise and understood all things, wasn’t he? God wasn’t dead. What harm could their be in being like God?
So one day they ate from the tree. They came to an agreement. The woman would eat first, and if nothing bad happened, the man would eat after her.
What they had not counted on was the sweet taste of the fruit. It was so juicy and good that they found they no longer wanted any other fruit from the trees in the garden. They were unaware that the fruit from this tree did not contain all the minerals needed for full-body nourishment. Their senses became sharper, their minds more enhanced. But they began to suffer as their nutrient stores depleted.
As they grew weaker and experienced more difficulty in caring for the ground, the good plants became neglected and diseased.
What had gone wrong with God’s creation?
The above is a product of my imagination. Yet it is also what happens to us every day. We live in a society in which people prefer sweetness and pleasure over diligence, nurture of one part of the brain over nurture of the whole body/mind/spirit. The result is an impact to the entire ecosystem and community. Is it any wonder that the world and society cannot heal?
How shall we promote healing?
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Foster good sleep habits. Rest is essential for accomplishing anything and coping with emotional life situations.
- Nurture relationship wellness and build good people skills. Poor communication methods generate additional stress on community and environment.
- Nurture balance between all activities in life. Poor balance fosters poor eating and sleeping habits, etc.
- Be intentional and self-aware so that when we say, “yes, I will…” it will be done. A failed promise to the community shows that we will be equally unfaithful with family, self-care, caring for environment, etc.
Finally, we must develop the habit of doing some things even when we don’t want to do them. Nurturing our pleasure centers has lulled us into a place in which we have come to think that surely hard work is overrated. Hard work is the key to our success. It was also the key to God’s work as Creator. When God created each being, God looked upon it and pronounced it good. This was not pride. It was joy. There is a distinct difference. There is not one thing wrong with taking joy in acknowledging the results of hard work as good.
Joy says, “It is good.” Pride says, “I did this.”
Let us work hard for things worth rejoicing over!
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