The Still Forbidden Fruit

The account of the creation and “fall of man” (in the book of Genesis) has always left me with many unanswered questions. It is such a short narrative, it leaves too much to my imagination. Doesn't God realize - He could solve much debate and confusion if only I had more information?

The reality is that God knows much better than I, how I might (or might not) benefit from additional information. But I suspect He has given us precisely the right amount to accomplish His intended purposes. While that thought doesn't satisfy my curiosity, it forces me to confront the question of whether or not I trust Him.

Trust is a key component of love. It is confidence in the character and goodness of the one in whom our trust is placed. But trust doesn't thrive in world of certainty. Instead, trust blossoms best in a world of limitations. Complete knowledge doesn't require trust. Incomplete knowledge surely does.

Going back to the Genesis account for a moment; in the newly unspoiled creation, what mechanism existed to nurture trust? How was God going to grow Adam and Eve in trust? What limitations could he impose to stretch them in this new and perfect creation?

It appears that God did this by providing a set of instructions to Adam with only a limited explanation. To paraphrase, “Adam my son, eat from any tree you desire, in the garden that I have provided for you. But do not eat of this one particular tree, for if you do, it will lead to your death.”

I don't know if Adam was allowed to ask questions, but a pretty obvious one might have been “why would you put that here?” But I doubt any additional explanation was given. Would they have even understood if it was given? I believe God expected them to be satisfied with the information they had.

The limited information that Adam had been given placed the question of trust squarely on Adam's shoulders. It was as if God was asking our first parents “will you trust me that I am good, and I that I am for you? will you believe what I say, or will you trust your own judgement over mine?”

We know the rest of that story. Faced with the choice, they did not choose to trust. The serpent implied that God's motives were suspect and that He could not be trusted. Their choice of mistrust spread like a disease infecting all of creation. The world has never been the same.

But what if the “fall of man” was not simply an historical event that explains our present chaos? What if the “fall of man"is still a daily occurrence? What if each of us daily relive this same choice? What if God's incomplete answers leave the question of trust squarely on our shoulders, just like Adam and Eve? What if we are meant to look at our circumstances, or even our failures with no explanation of why? What if this incomplete knowledge beckons us back to that same forbidden place, to that same forbidden fruit? What if the only way that we can truly learn to love God is to embrace Him without a promise of future understanding? What if His answer to us is "you wouldn't understand my child, you must trust me…”

The River Inside Us

To a people who dwell in an arid land, water represents the very essence of life. It is something not so abundant that it is taken for granted. Where water appears, life happens. Whether a spring, thunderstorm, river, lake, or even a well - water represents life. When Jesus says that springs of living water will well up within us, he is saying we will become a source of life to those around us.

If you have ever come upon a clear running stream on a hot summer's day you will likely recall the sudden desire to experience the water as it rushes by you. I remember driving through the mountains in California on an isolated highway during a vacation with my kids. We came upon a beautiful clear mountain river that began to run along the side of the highway. Just looking at that stream, a desire welled up within us to find a place to pull off the road and experience that river. We finally found a safe place to pull off the road and hiked down to the river bank. Finding a place where it widened and the current slowed a bit, we waded out into the river. Fed by the melting snow from the peaks, the water was ice cold. Although it was a hot day, we shivered as we splashed and swam in that crystal clear stream. Even our dogs joined in the fun. We eventually made our way back to our motor home, relaxed and refreshed by that water. When we remember our best vacation moments, we often talk about the joy of finding that unexpected river. Just seeing that river awakened a desire in us we weren't even aware of.

In the same way that the mountain river awakened a desire in me, the streams of life that Jesus intends to pour through us will awaken unconscious desires in this spiritually arid world. Just seeing that stream will cause a thirst to well up within them. Experiencing that water will bring life and healing.