Love Is

Genesis 3:6-9 (NRSV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

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Ours is not to reason why
As we fall from way up high
Into the water (Into the water)
Like a lamb to the slaughter.

"God's Mistake" by Roland Olazabal, Tears for Fears, from Raoul and the Kings of Spain, 1995

The chorus of this song tells us that love is "God's Mistake." Is there a more harsh reading of God's love than this? God makes a mistake and that mistake is love? Not any specific love either, all love, the best love. That's just plain harsh. But there is, even if flawed a logic to this.

Imagine God creating us and placing us in the garden without love. Without love, God would have felt free to, would have been forced to control humanity from the first moment of creation. Without love, God could play with humanity the way a child plays with dolls. Without love we would have simply been playthings for God and we would not known any different. But instead, we were created in love, in the image of God.

We were created to tend to creation and enjoy God. But here's the twist, the only way we could have been guaranteed to be obedient is to be created either without either love or free will. Without the love of God and the freedom to love God that freely given, we would not have been able to sin.

Without God's love, we would just be playthings, puppets, we would be without value. But we would not be able to sin.

Because of God's love, we were able to fall from way on high. Because God created us to love freely in return, we are able to misuse this freely given gift. I suppose God knew this possibility from before the beginning, still God chose to love freely give us the opportunity to return that love just as freely.

Here's the twist, and it may feel like the twist of a dagger. Because we can choose to love, we can choose to sin. We were not given one without the other. To love without giving love's object the option to refuse love is abusive. It's stalking. It's far worse than that.

But if Love is God's Mistake, it is only because it is also God's greatest gift. Love is a risk worth taking.

Tempted by the Fruit

Genesis 3:1-6
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

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Tempted by the fruit of another,
Tempted but the truth is discovered

"Tempted" written by Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford; recorded by Squeeze

But before we get started, let's get this straight, it's not Eve's fault! The serpent is the trickster. Adam and Eve are dupes. It's not like Eve had to go to the back 40 to get Adam. Look at the passage, he's right there with her. He's just standing there not saying anything. That either makes Adam the strong silent type or big and dumb. You pick, it doesn't matter in the end.

Here's the key point, Eve saw what the serpent was saying, the fruit was a delight to her eyes, to everybody's eyes. They ate the fruit and they discovered the truth, truth they never were intended to know.

It's kind of a layup for this song isn't it. The forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden, the ultimate temptation. Tempted by the fruit of another, tempted but the truth is discovered.

This is the song about someone who is leaving town after a love affair ends badly. Packing up and leaving town, it's telling that one of the places that gets the attention of the singer on the way to the airport is a church.

But the memory of the place, in the place the garden, don't leave the singer alone. The memory of the Garden still are a part of the human experience. We long for paradise, we long to live side by side with God as beloved children, not as rebellious imps. But to this day we are still tempted by the fruit of another, tempted but the truth is discovered.

Like the singer we try to make amends. The singer spends a fortune. We call it "salvation by works." Neither have the desired effect. We are saved by grace through faith. We are saved by the work of God in Christ. We are saved not by what we do, because what we do is forever tainted. We aren't tainted by what happened in the garden, we're tainted because what happened in the garden is what humans do with perfect freedom. Tempted by the fruit of another, tempted but the truth is discovered.

But the one who gives that freedom never turns from us. The one who gives that freedom stays alongside us to welcome us with open arms. It may be too late for the singer and that mythical other, but our lives and our Lord are not mythical.

Wisdom-It's not What We Know It's Who God Is

Thanks to Walt for the tune suggestion.


1Corinthians 1:21b-22, 27-29 (NRSV)

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no onec might boast in the presence of God.

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But he knew, he knew more than me or you
No one could see his view
Oh, where was he going to

And he tried
But before he could tell us he died
When he left us the people cried

Oh, where was he going to?

Portrait (He Knew), by Kerry Livgren, from "Point of Know Return" by Kansas

I am a Presbyterian and traditionally Presbyterians are known for learned clergy. If it were up to my seminary professors alone, this would never change. Seminary teaches scripture, language-Hebrew and Greek, history, liturgy, theology, ministry, mission, evangelism, worship, and a litany of things that would take 2,000 years to learn.

Yet, there is one thing we all leave knowing in one way or another. We really don't know much. When asked how I was feeling, I used to answer, "young and stupid." Now I am almost 30 years older than when I started saying that. Seminary minded new depths of my ignorance. Parish ministry has taught me that I may have every good ministerial tool in my toolbox, but parish ministry can be like trying to being a jet mechanic trying to keep a plane in the air...at 38,000 feet-moving into a thunderstorm.

I long for the days when I thought I was young and stupid.

The joy is I get to remember that I don't need to know all of the answers as long as I know where to seek the answers. He knew, he knew more than me or you, no one could see his view. His wisdom is our folly--and right back at you.

Jesus shared his widsom, the wisdom of God with a creation that could not understand it. He knew we would not be able to get it. Yet he tried, but before he could tell us he died. When he left us the people cried. Do I understand now? Oh no.

Then if we understood, we wouldn't need the Holy Spirit. The Lord knew we would need the Spirit to be with us and show us what we did not understand. Whether it takes one time, seventy-seven times, or seventy-seven plus one times, God is patient and loving and kind.

God knows, and by God's wisdom we can remember it's not what we know, it's who God is.