Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

What if everything we thought we knew about Adam and Eve was wrong? The familiar Garden of Eden narrative has been so heavily filtered through centuries of interpretation that we often miss its original meaning entirely. Like a biblical version of the Mandela Effect, we collectively misremember key details – there was no apple, the serpent wasn't explicitly evil, and the word "sin" never appears in the text.

Most significantly, this story has been weaponized throughout history to suggest women's inferiority, despite the Hebrew text suggesting something entirely different. The word used for Eve as Adam's "helper" is the same word used to describe God's divine power – hardly indicating subservience! And though artistic representations often show Eve alone with the serpent, the biblical text clearly states Adam was present throughout the entire encounter.

When we strip away these misconceptions, what emerges is breathtaking – a poetic vision of God's original intention for humanity. Eden represents relationships of mutuality rather than domination, a world without shame, accusation, or blame games. The breakdown occurs not when Eve eats the fruit, but when Adam responds to God with "I" instead of "we" – revealing our continued struggle with individualism over community.

In a world torn by conflict, this ancient text offers profound wisdom. "We cannot bomb our way back to Eden, but we can love our way back." The kingdom of heaven Jesus proclaimed is Eden by another name – a place where finger-pointing ceases, where shame disappears, and where we delight in God as God delights in us. Will you join in rediscovering this vision of mutual relationship, moving from a theology of "me" to a theology of "us"?

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