Well we’ve moved into Spring, the sun has come out, there is the prospect of restrictions being eased and it feels as though the mood around us all has changed slightly.
We’ve finished our Unraveled series and are about to embark on a time of exploring our Biblical Heroes and Heroines and that will give us the opportunity to hear a little bit more from some of us.
Today, as we celebrate communion together, and as we celebrate the changing of the seasons, I want to take a moment to reflect on our relationship with God. Our reading tells of Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil even though they have been told that they shouldn’t. It tells of their nakedness being realised, their hiding from God and ultimately their expulsion from the paradise they had begun life in.
It’s also about a change in their relationship with God. You could almost say that they have moved from a child-like relationship to a more grown up relationship. This growing up, just like any growing up, means changes, added responsibilities, independence and increased knowledge. The relationship between God and humankind has not ceased to be, just changed. As we read the rest of the Bible we read about the maturing relationship humanity has with God and its development. As we experienced and witnessed last Sunday with Shaz’s baptism, our journey as the people of God, our relationship with Christ, is always changing and growing. There are times it becomes strained and maybe even distant, and then there are times when it is strong and we can feel very close to God, all of this is part of growing, learning, trusting and exploring.
I sometimes wonder about all the extra layers we read into, or have been taught about, that are added to this story of the leaving of the Garden of Eden. There are times when our interpretation of this telling does nothing but harm and mislead us. Now I know some of you will not agree with that, and we’ll explore it a little more on Sunday. Perhaps this telling is more about ignoring the care and love of a parent and the lessons to be learnt as we grow and mature in our lives and our relationships and become responsible for our actions. Jay Robinson
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