The first encounter with the idea of original sin didn’t go over well with me.

My 5 year old brain was confused and thought, “Somebody must have misunderstood that story.”

Well, perhaps I’m taking liberties with rewriting my personal history of the impact , but this story has always bothered me. I knew that there was more to the story than what we are conventionally taught. The short version that most people know is something like: “God put two trees in the garden, the Tree of Life was good eating, and we could have our fill whenever we wanted, but the tree of knowledge of good and evil was off limits, and if we did eat from it, we die. Then the snake tempted Eve, and she cajoled Adam, and poof, no Garden for you!”

Recently, I was commenting to a friend how I think we misunderstand the intended message regarding that second tree.

Off the cuff, I told it this way:

“Originally, God only put one tree in the garden, and Adam and Eve would just eat as they wanted. One day, God was watching Adam and Eve playing in the garden while he was tidying up some corner of the universe and Adam said, “God, what can I do to help?”

God thought this was cute, and said, “Don’t worry yourself, just enjoy the garden.”

Adam insisted, “But I want to make something, like you do.” It seems that Adam just had his appetite whetted from the naming of the animals.

“Just pick anything,” God suggested.

“But that’s no good,” Adam replied, “I can just see its really you doing all the work, and not really me moving my hands.

God’s eyebrows went up, “I see what you mean. Wait just a minute, I have an idea.” And God went off into the workshop and after some period of hammering and banging come back to the garden with a golden seed. He planted it in the Garden, a little distance from the Tree of Life and zapped it with a tiny bolt of lightning. *POOF*, up pops a second tree, sparkling and shiny with a dazzling looking fruit hanging from a low branch.

Adam and Eve both gasped, and let out an ooh, and an ahh.

“Now kids, this second tree is different from the first one,” God intoned. “If you eat this fruit here, you will finally be able to create something of your own hand for you won’t be able to see my hand moving you. BUT! Before you eat of this tree, let me warn you, you should only take a bite after you are ready to take full responsibility for your actions. If you aren’t willing to take full responsibility, leave the tree alone, or you will have a horrendous time trying to remember how to get back home.”

“Home? But, where would we go?” asked eve.

“Nowhere, you are always here, but you will feel unfamiliar and lost until you remember and speak my true name, and then you will awaken from your journey.”

That evening, Eve nudged Adam, “Do you want to go look at the fruit again? It was so shiny, I wonder what it looks like at night-time.”

Adam agreed, and then tiptoed up to the tree and could see the fruit glowing and casting a comforting light. Adam wondered aloud, “What do you think it tastes like?”

A gentle breeze blew in their direction and Eve could smell the fruit and exclaimed, “Oh Adam, it smells divine. Can you smell it?”

“Yes, it makes my mouth water.”

Adam cradled the fruit in his hand it it fell from the tree, sparkling and tempting them both. He was so intoxicated by the aroma that he lifted it to his lips and took a small bite.

His eyes lit up, “Eve, try it, you won’t believe how delicious it is.”

Eve took a small bite and smiled, “it tastes like happiness.”

Adam and Eve started to get drowsy and leaned against the tree. The next thing they knew, the sun was coming up.

Adam looked down and realized he didn’t have any clothes on, and tried to cover himself. Eve startled and did the same thing. It was then that Adam saw the half eaten fruit, still glowing, on the ground by their feet.

“Eve, what did you do? You made me eat the fruit!”

“No, Adam, it wasn’t me, you did it on your own.”

God saw the whole thing, and Mother Earth gave him a look, “I told you they weren’t ready.”

“It’s going to be okay,” God said, “I told them how to wake up.”

But in their embarrassment, Adam and Eve couldn’t remember God’s true name. They ran to hide, and lost their way, unable to see or feel God’s loving presence right within their hearts.

“If only they remember to take full responsibility for their actions, then surely my true name will spring forth again easily from their lips.”

Well, it has been a long journey, and quite some time that since we forgot exactly how we landed in this predicament we find ourselves in. But, have you noticed, people are starting to wake up again. There are a handful of indigo children who are remembering to take responsibility. I imagine before long, someone will actually remember how to pronounce God’s true name.