What a super spot! Beautiful beyond description, a perfect, pollution free atmosphere, fragrant flowers, crystal clear water and on top of all the physical beauty, there was absolute innocence, No sin. Adam and Eve had a relationship that was free of hang-ups.

Adam and his wife Eve were both naked, but they felt no shame. Naked, Not just physically, but emotionally as well. They were not ashamed ‘with one another’. There was a remarkable openness, a lack of self consciousness in each other’s presence. Their discussions, their actions, their entire existence were non- defensive, unguarded, and absolutely unselfish.

But when the Devil entered with his pleasurable benefits, selfishness came. At the moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. Adam and Eve felt guilt and became embarrassed over their nakedness. Their eyes were opened. They was a sudden, shocking realization that they were naked. Suddenly, those two became self-conscious. They never knew those feelings before. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin, they were afraid to show themselves. Their guilt feelings made them hide from God. Sin had broken their close relationship with God.

Adam didn’t assist Eve. She really wasn’t concerned about him either. Both of them got busy and whipped up a self-made cover-up. Then God probed deeper, Adam and Eve became increasingly more defensive. They hurdled accusations on each other and then at God.

‘The women…!’
‘The woman you gave me….!’ ‘The serpent….!’

The pattern hasn’t changed. Since the original scene down through the centuries, the history of humanity is ugly marks of selfishness. Unwilling to be authentic, we hide, we deny, we lie, we run, we escape. We ridicule, we dominate, we criticize and then we develop ways of not admitting it.

‘I’m not dogmatic, I’m just sure of myself.’

‘I’m not judging, I’m discerning.’

‘I’m not argumentative; I’m simply trying to prove a point.’

‘I’m not stubborn, just confident!’ Since we are infected with Adam- Eve disease, we have inherited selfish nature which has broken our relationship with God and others. A self-centered person can’t truly love God and others. But God opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with him. He actively offers us his unconditional love. We need to repent and find God’s forgiveness in Christ. This lies at the heart of our Christian faith. God is the source of our love. He gives us the power to love and makes us more and more like him. When our heart is filled with God’s love, there will be no room for self. Then we can enjoy good relationship with God / Jesus and others as well.

May the Lord help us to grow in His grace and show his love.

J. Bhaskaran

The author is staff trainee with UESI