Original Sin

It’s fascinating to read about the fall from grace in Genesis and our sorrowful fight against God’s rule and love. We were first made for specific roles. Adam was made for the guardianship and stewardship of everything in the world. He names the animals as God made them, he knew them all by name and I’m sure he was very acquainted with the animals and their personalities. Eve was made specifically for Adam. She was made and fashioned from man for man. (Feminists, is that such a bad idea? Is it so bad to be made solely and designed to perfection for love and the upholding of our counterparts? What is so bad about a life with purpose?).

I asked for God to show me what it means to be a woman, I was looking for empowerment and a way that I can raise my fists and claim in power what I am. God smiled and showed me the initial creation of my sex, our downfall, our curse, but also our salvation. Let me tell you something, it wasn’t easy. I am very guilty of the original sin of woman and what came after.

From Grace

It started when Satan, in the form of a snake, made Eve feel that she was missing out from something great and blamed God for keeping her from “enlightenment” (isn’t semantics deviantly delicious?). She ate the fruit (why an apple? It’s a fruit, any fruit really). The minute Eve consented (please, she was not duped, she consented) she brought sin into the equation, but here is the interesting part. Sin didn’t become engrained and passed down through humanity until Adam partook of the sin. Remember, Adam is the steward of all creation; he was made to take care and tend to the creation of God. When Adam took of the fruit he opened a portal and became the facilitator for sin to enter the whole of humanity; and thus began our fall from grace.

From the start we can see our sin laid out.

1. Doubting of God’s word and the grace of His rule

a. Eve questioned God’s rule, and she also questioned God’s intention. God’s rule is set in place so we are liberated of distractions so we can run well oiled for His purpose

2. Shame

a. Adam and Eve knew that they were naked the minute that they had the fruit. I don’t know where in the bible it will fully explain their shame (any takers?) but I’m going to say that their shame of their nakedness was a jarringly violent realization that they were suddenly separate from Eden. I know that doesn’t entirely cover their reason for feeling naked, but I’m trying.

3. The Blame game!

a. Adam, why? She gave it to me. Eve, why? The snake gave it to me. Seriously! Neither of them owned up to their own sin. Well, they did say yes, but they didn’t take the full responsibility.

b. Eve listened to the snake because she doubted God’s love and his intentions for the rules.

c. Adam listened to Eve even though God told him to his face never to eat of the fruit of the tree. Adam outright disobeyed God.

4. The respective sins

a. Adam would toil to take care of the earth, a job that he was made for in the first place, but I’d imagine it was much simpler and easier in Eden

b. Eve would chafe under her husband’s leadership, when in Eden, she delighted in it. She would also give birth through pain.

c. The serpent would attack the child of Eve, but also be hunted by man.

This all sound familiar to you? The curse of our original sin is still evident. Men, and now women, toil and labor in their work, it’s almost not work unless you hate it. Women still have pain in childbirth, although the epidural does make that easier. The feminist movement is the widespread institutionalization of God’s curse on woman.

I have no clear conclusion, only that this is a beginning of a beautiful journey for me. It starts with our sin and fall from the Love of God, but comes back full circle with our redemption and the rebuilding of our bridge to God through Jesus, who was born upon pain of childbirth.

Amazing.