This is a question, NOT, a declaration of theological truth.
It is a what if, pure and simple.
A question, and the implications, that I am wrestling with.
What if the problem with eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, is that the result for people was insanity?
The key lies in this idea, that eating the fruit made people as GOD, in terms of knowledge of evil.
As GOD, not in terms of becoming gods, rather simply knowing what evil is. What if, most of us, myself included, have misunderstood the issue and consequences.
Prior to eating the fruit, Adam and Eve, already knew GOD, they knew Good, they walked with GOD, they talked with GOD directly.
What they did not know, they had no concept of was evil.
GOD warned them, that eating the fruit, taking in the understanding of Both, good and evil, would bring death.
Death of sanity, death of relationships, connection, joy, peace, love. This inner spiritual death bringing separation and this Death of the eternal spirit within.
Gnosticism, takes this idea and twists it, making GOD, the bad guy in the story.
GOD, is transformed from a GOD of life, love, mercy, into a being of anger, judgement, curses, and unforgiving punishment in the interpretation.
Gnosticism, the Gnosis, knowledge, presents the knowledge of the tree as if it were a good thing, a blessing selfishly with held by the Creator.
This is blatantly false!
It is the knowledge, the understanding and experience of evil that brings insanity and destruction.
After decades of pondering, I have began to see another story. One that has been there in plain sight all along. A story Gnostics, the Church itself, and the world in general has intentionally gaslit us into ignoring.
In doing so, we have been led to believe the very opposite of GOD’S truth. We have believed a lie, a lie that turns us away from GOD.
Simply put,
What if the knowledge of evil, leads us to insanity?
Look at the situation of most of the homeless people we see on our streets. Lost, broken, wounded, from addiction, disease, mental health issues.
Consider how many actively resist efforts to help them out of the pain and despair.
They, are lost in a wilderness of pain, want, loneliness, illusion, despair, a pointless existence in a living hell. They are reduced to a state of purely instinctual predatory survival.
See the parallel with being cast out of the garden? With the loss of direct relationship with the source of Life and Love. With the loss of meaning to existence.
Without that connection, all that remains is a eternal hunger and thirst that can never be quenched.
A loneliness that aches and gnaws at heart and soul.
A situation that breeds insanity.
That realization makes YESHUA’S repeated statements about Living water for our thirst, about the bread of life, make sense to me.
That realization, makes the words and actions of the last supper make sense.
It turns our understanding of of the passion, the crucifixion, and resurrection completely upside down and inside out.
Christ, demonstrated the results of evil.
HE partook of the consequences, the pain, the loneliness, fear and despair that we exist in, in our insanity.
The judgement of sin, is not GOD arbitrarily dictating rules and enforced punishment.
Rather, it is discernment of the consequences, declaring those consequences, and the free offering of healing, love, mercy, relationship, fulfillment.
GOD does not curse us like some wrathful self absorbed narcissistic tyrant.
GOD warns us, “hey, if you pick up that two by four plank, and smack your neighbor in the head, there are natural consequences. If you hit your self in the head it will hurt and bring consequences.”
We, insanely, curse ourselves and all around us, to pain, loss, loneliness, fear and destruction through our choices and actions.
GOD calls us to mercy, love, peace, healing, relationship.
And we, in pride/shame, flee into the wilderness.
This realization brings entirely new understanding to the birth of Christ, His life, His message, His sacrifice.
This is my Christmas present.
A hope that this question resonates, and the answers that , I believe the Holy Spirit are leading me to, will help to call you all home.
My song Hellbilly Blues, is about this.
The line,
“Time to come home, come on home,”
Come back home from the wilderness of pain.
Joking aside.
If my work helps you I desperately need your help to continue it.
If you are not moved to becoming a paid subscriber, even if you are;
I implore you to look around, see the needs of those that surround you and engage.
Simple words of encouragement and love, gestures of compassion, a hot meal,
These things change lives, in doing so, these things change our world.
That is how we build HIS kingdom,
Bridge earth and heaven while we await HIS return.
MARANATHA!
“GOD, is transformed from a GOD of life, love, mercy, into a being of anger, judgement, curses, and unforgiving punishment in the interpretation”
This is how we are separated from God’s love and mercy.