I have been reading various works that have me thinking about the story of Adam and Eve specifically the question about the original sin of humanity. After all, what exactly caused the Fall from Grace?
Many people want to focus on the sin part of the story in the Fall from Grace. They want to pinpoint exactly what it was that Adam and Eve did. Whatever that original sin is, people want to use it as a scapegoat and say that’s the reason life is difficult and a struggle. The snake tempted Eve. It’s the snake’s fault. Eve tempted Adam. It’s woman’s fault. God tempted humans. It wasn’t our fault.
I think the idea of the story is completely missed. This story is about freedom and responsibility at its core. When God created the world, He gave humans, Adam and Eve, the responsibility of having dominion over His creation. However, having responsibility means following rules such as not eating of the Tree of Knowledge. When human beings asserted their free will and ate of the Tree of Knowledge, they had to take responsibility for gaining the knowledge of right and wrong. Before human beings were living in an idyllic garden and we were just like the animals operating purely on instinct. Once we asserted our free will, we became more than just animals; we become God’s children. Yet, we also brought upon our own shoulders the problem of pain. People can’t understand how an all-powerful God with infinite wisdom would allow evil, pain, and suffering in this world. God didn’t choose that for us; we chose it. God loves us so much that even when we disobeyed Him, He continued to love us, He continued to guide us, and He even tried to save us by sacrificing His only Son for us.
People say that original sin is sex, disobedience, knowledge of right or wrong, or even free will. I believe it really doesn’t matter what the sin was; what matters is that I realize that I am responsible for myself and my actions. If there is pain and sorrow in the world, it is because human beings create it. God will never abandon us or give up hope for us. Yet, He isn’t going to take the blame when it is humanity that took the bite out of the fruit.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
