LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN EDEN

WRITTEN IN APRIL 2007

IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT VIRGINIA TECH TRAGEDY, THE DEADLIEST SHOOTING IN U.S. HISTORY, WHERE 32 PEOPLE WERE MURDERED; AND THE BLOODIEST DAY IN BAGHDAD IN QUITE SOME TIME WHERE 183 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN 4 SEPARATE BOMB ATTACKS - I'VE JUST BEEN MEDITATING ON WHAT GOD HAD PLANNED FOR US IN EDEN, AND HOW IN ONE FELL SWOOP IT ALL WENT TERRIBLY AND IRRETRIEVABLY WRONG! SOME PEOPLE ASK, "WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?" SOME SAY, "THE WORLD'S GONE CRAZY!" SOME SAY, "THE WORLD'S NOT AS SAFE AS IT USED TO BE!" AND STILL OTHERS SAY, "I WISH FOR THE GOOD OLE DAYS." MY RESPONSE WOULD BE THAT THE WORLD HAS BEEN CRAZY FROM THE BEGINNING! THE WORLD HAS NEVER BEEN A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE EXCEPT FOR THE TIME WHEN ADAM AND EVE LIVED IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WITH GOD. WHEN GOD CREATED THE WORLD AND THEN ADAM AND EVE, HE CREATED IT AND THEM TO LIVE FOREVER IN PEACE AND HARMONY WITH EVERY LIVING ORGANISM ON THE PLANET. MAN HAD NO INKLING WHAT EVIL WAS, NOR WAS HE EVER SUPPOSED TO KNOW. THE PLANET WAS PRISTINE, FOOD WAS PLENTIFUL, THERE WAS NO POLLUTION, AND SUCH CONDITIONS AS DISEASE, HANDICAPS, DECEIT, HATRED, PAIN, CRIME, EARTHQUAKES, PESTILENCE, AND GLOBAL WARMING DID NOT EXIST. EDEN WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A HEAVEN ON EARTH. HOWEVER GOD IMPOSED ONE LAW AND ONE LAW ONLY! ONE LAW! ONE! HE DISTINCTLY TOLD ADAM AND EVE THAT THEY COULD EAT FROM ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN EXCEPT FROM THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. THERE WERE PROBABLY COUNTLESS TREES IN THE GARDEN, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE GOD DID PROHIBIT THEM TO EAT OF. FOR IF THEY DID GOD TOLD THEM IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, "YOU WILL SURELY DIE." NOW, ADAM AND EVE HAD NO IDEA WHAT DEATH WAS. NOTHING AND NO ONE HAD EVER DIED BEFORE, SO THIS CONCEPT WAS ALIEN TO THEM. THEY KNEW THE GOOD, THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW THE BAD. SO IF THEY ATE OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THEY WOULD KNOW EVIL, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. AS THE BIBLE TEACHES, HAVING THIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CAUSES PHYSICAL DEATH OF ALL MANKIND. IN HEAVEN WITH GOD THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL, HENCE NO DEATH THERE. ADAM AND EVE HAD IT ALL! THEY HAD MORE THAN ANY OTHER HUMAN BEINGS HAVE EVER HAD. THEY HAD MORE RICHES, THEY HAD MORE FOOD, THEY HAD MORE LIFE - THEY HAD IT ALL! EVEN JESUS CHRIST, AS A HUMAN BEING, DID NOT PHYSICALLY HAVE AS MUCH AS THEY HAD. ENTER THE SERPENT. [THE SERPENT'S PRESENCE ALONE DID NOT EFFECT THE KNOWLEDGE OF (BETWEEN) GOOD AND EVIL.] THE SERPENT SOUGHT TO PUT DOUBT INTO THE MIND OF EVE. [PUTTING DOUBT INTO SOMEONE'S MIND CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE DAMAGE, BUT IT BY ITSELF DOES NOT EFFECT THE KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.] THE DEVIL ASKED EVE ABOUT THE TREE AND ITS FRUIT OF WHICH GOD SAID NOT TO EAT. [IT WAS NOT AN APPLE! THE 'FRUIT' WAS THE 'KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL'.] HE ASKED HER, "WHY CAN'T YOU EAT OF THAT TREE?" EVE TOLD SATAN WHAT GOD TOLD HER, THAT IF SHE ATE OF IT SHE WOULD SURELY DIE. SATAN LIED TO HER SAYING, "YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE IF YOU EAT OF THAT TREE ..." THIS WAS THE FIRST LIE EVER TOLD. EVE CHANGED HER MIND. SATAN HAD EFFECTIVELY UNDONE IN EVE'S MIND THE COMMAND THAT GOD HAD IMPLANTED, BUT IT WAS NOT BECAUSE THE DEVIL HAS THAT MUCH POWER. IT WAS BECAUSE EVE ALLOWED THE DEVIL TO CAUSE HER TO DOUBT, AND SHE ALONE CHANGE HER MIND. GOD FORCES NO MAN OR WOMAN TO OBEY HIM! EVE SAW THAT THE FRUIT LOOKED DELICIOUS. IT WAS APPEALING TO HER EYES, AND DOG-GONE-IT SHE WANTED IT NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. SHE'D JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES LATER. BESIDES, SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT DEATH WAS ANYHOW, SO WHY NOT TAKE JUST ONE BITE? ANY OF US WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING. SO SHE ATE OF THE FRUIT. THEN, THOUGH THE SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY THIS, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY INFERRED, SHE MUST HAVE FELT GUILTY ABOUT WHAT SHE HAD DONE (A FIRST FOR THAT EMOTION FOR HER). BUT INSTEAD OF WARNING HER HUSBAND ABOUT HER DISOBEDIENCE, SHE SOUGHT THE POTENTIAL CO-CONSPIRATOR IN HIM AND ENTICED HIM TO ALSO EAT OF THE FRUIT, FOR MISERY DOES LOVE COMPANY. ONCE ADAM HAD DONE THIS THEIR EYES WERE "OPENED" FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES, AND THE PROVERBIAL "PANDORA'S BOX" WAS OPENED AS WELL. NO GOING BACK! IT'S LIKE THAT CANNISTER WITH THE TOY THAT SPRINGS OUT AND ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN YOU OPEN IT UP. FOR THE LIFE OF YOU THERE IS JUST NO WAY OF PUSHING THE TOY BACK INTO THE CANNISTER THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE YOU OPENED IT. THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE. ADAM AND EVE AND EVERY LIVING ORGANISM WOULD NOW BE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH DEATH FROM THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION. THE FIRST HUMAN CASUALTY OF ADAM AND EVE'S DISOBEDIENCE WAS ABEL, BROTHER OF CAIN, SON OF ADAM AND EVE. HIS PARENTS HAD BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND THE WORLD WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME. CAIN GREW JEALOUS OF ABEL, SO HE LED HIM OUT TO A FIELD, AND THERE HE STRUCK HIM DEAD. AND IT HAS BEEN GOING ON EVER SINCE! THIS HAS NEVER BEEN AN IDYLLIC WORLD. INDISCRIMINANT BLOODSHED HAS RULED THE ROOST IN MANY WAYS SINCE THE BEGINNING. WITH THE EJECTION OF ADAM AND EVE FROM EARTHLY HEAVEN CAME POLLUTION, DISEASE, HANDICAPS, DECEIT, HATRED, PAIN, MEDICATIONS, HOSPITALS, CRIME, EARTHQUAKES, HURRICANES, PESTILENCE, STRIFE, WEARINESS, SWEAT, WARS, WEAPONS, MASS MURDERS, ....... DEATH! IF IT WERE NOT FOR GOD SENDING HIS SON, JESUS, THE WORLD WOULD CONTINUE IN THIS WAY HOPELESSLY PROBABLY FOREVER! IT IS JUST HORRIBLE WHAT PEOPLE DO TO ONE ANOTHER! WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER WITH SO MUCH DISRESPECT! WE GET MAD AT ANY LITTLE THING. IF SOMEBODY LOOKS AT US WRONG IT'S TIME TO FIGHT. YOU CAN'T TRUST NOBODY BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE YOUR KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS. EVERYBODY WANTS WHAT IS NOT THEIRS. PEOPLE GET MAD AT THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY WERE TREATED WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP, SO THEY BUY A GUN AND GO SHOOT UP EVERYBODY IN SIGHT - AND THEN WHEN THEY SEE NO ONE ELSE TO KILL, THEY TURN THE GUN ON THEMSELVES. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. ALWAYS! OH I LONG FOR HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN EDEN. I LONG FOR HEAVEN. I LONG FOR CHRIST. HAILE NKRUMAH GAULT