What Did Happen In Eden

We all know what happened in Eden right? Let's take a second look.

Because of what Adam and Eve did, sin enters the world. That's the general interpretation. But there is something to add to this.

The story involves God saying to the couple to not eat the fruit of a certain tree. In his Wisdom, God places a forbidden tree in the garden and tells Adam and Eve not to eat it. A perfect recipe for disaster, right? It is inevitable then that Adam and Eve proceed to eat the fruit and then history begins.

Theology tells us that sin entered the world through this first act of disobedience. What it doesn't tell us though is that it was also the first step towards our salvation. For without eating the fruit, Adam and Eve can only be regarded as automatons, as animals, following instinctively what the Lord commands. Eating the fruit is what makes them ultimately human.

Adam and Eve were given the first moral decision and, though they "failed miserably", their act opened up our potential to do good as well as to do evil. From mere instinct, we evolved to ethical beings, armed with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions. From that moment, we became persons, fully capable of a will and a mind.

The story of Eden is not a story about how evil entered the world; it is a story of humanity in all its glory. The capacity to discern and to think for ourselves becomes the defining point of our existence. From mere puppets came individuals given a wide array of choices on how to live their lives.

But, of course, humanity's greatest flaw is also a byproduct of its triumph. Though we can be masters in our own right, such power didn't come with the wisdom to wield it.

Hence, JC had to come down to lead us to Eden once again.