The Fall From Grace

Fall From Grace

At One with Nature and also with their Creator, the first humans live in a state of peace and harmony. Theirs is an existence of perfect balance with all things so that their every need is met. The first humans are innocent, free from shame or guilt; they speak no lies, nor suffer any kind of mental or physical dis-ease. They know nothing of themselves or their world, and so the world in which they live is a bountiful garden of goodness; Paradise.

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam each tells a similar story of Creation. The very first chapter of The Bible, Genesis, tells of the legend of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God in God's own image. Adam and Eve are given dominion over all life on Earth; they are given freedom to be in The Garden Of Eden and are encouraged to eat from the trees therein, particularly The Tree Of Life.

They are also commanded not to eat Of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil. They are warned that on the day that they eat of the fruit of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil, they will surely die.

In Genesis we learn that Adam and Eve disobey God. Having been tempted by the serpent, they indulge in the fruit of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil. The consequences for indulging in this 'forbidden fruit' are separation from God; from wholeness and peace. The first humans then are driven by their new awareness - which brings with it shame and guilt – down into a God-less world where they must now 'by the sweat of their brow', grow their own food; man is no longer hunter-gatherer with dominion over all the animals; man is now agricultural, and therefore ruled by seasons and time; by age and ultimately by Death.

So what is this 'forbidden fruit' that drives Adam and Eve, the first humans, out of paradise; away from wholeness; away from perfection, and down into death? What is this 'first sin' that causes the Fall from Grace? Is it the literal consumption of a particular fruit, often depicted in art and literature as an apple? Perhaps it was grapes, or the bi-product of grapes; wine? Or is the eating of the fruit a metaphor for Desire? Adam and Eve are tempted with the fruit, they are deceived by the serpent, who tells them that their eyes will be opened if they eat of it.

Adam and Eve open themselves to feelings of deep want and longing (desire) because they choose to take what is not given to them by their Creator; they choose instead what is offered by the serpent. This opening brings them closer to the action of disobedience, the taking of that which is forbidden them, followed by the consumption of it, which brings no real or sustained satisfaction. A perpetual cycle of desire, disobedience and dissatisfaction is born; and pain follows.

As it stands today, the 'forbidden fruit' is a metaphor for any indulgence that is considered illegal, immoral, or dangerous, and particularly when relating to human sexuality. But according to Christian doctrine, first Man and Woman are commanded by God to be fruitful and multiply; we usually take this as meaning that the first humans should go forward having children. We can take from this then that the 'first sin' is not necessarily sexual; Man and Woman together in union is good and wholesome.

We could consider the first sin as the moment when peace and wholeness are first ruptured; when balance is first tipped and health and ease destroyed. Dis-ease is inherited by Adam and Eve's offspring; it comes as the consequence of their choosing; they 'eat' more than is deemed by God to be necessary for their everlasting fulfillment.

Today, if we take more than is necessary for our fulfillment, weather it is food, wine, power or even too much inactivity, which can be laziness, then we are quite likely being excessive or greedy. The consequences sooner or later are usually sickness, in one form or another.

What of knowledge of good and evil today? Perhaps when we consider ourselves as knowing what is right and what is wrong; what is good and what is evil, then we judge, and consequently, we separate ourselves further from innocence, peace and health.

The Tree of Knowledge, also known as The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil, whose fruit, when eaten, separates man from immortality is balanced by the existence of The Tree Of Life.

Jesus Christ teaches that The Tree of Life is still firmly planted on man's side of the divide, and when eaten, health, peace, and everlasting life are surely restored to all humanity.