Adam and Eve: The Untold Story

Our life is a mega story that contains thousands of mini stories. The stories that we believe and tell, shape our lives. They affect our thinking, effect our behavior, and impact our lives.

What is the story you believe about your origins, the meaning of your lives and your salvation?

The predominant story line is that we are descendants of Adam and Eve. Adam was created first, from the clay of the earth. Then God decided that he should have a companion, because it is not good for a man to be alone. So, God puts Adam to sleep (the first case of Anesthesia in the bible) and did a surgery on his side; took out one his ribs and created woman and Adam named her, Eve.

They were placed in the garden of Eden. There was a tree in the middle of the garden, and they were told not to eat the fruit of that tree which apparently was an apple (the bible doesn’t say that).

One day, the serpent comes along and he tempts Eve and she eats the fruit. Then she gives one to Adam and he eats it too. When God finds that out, He gets very angry. He comes to the garden. Adam and Eve are hiding behind the bush because they are afraid and naked.

God was very upset that they disobeyed him and so first he punishes the serpent by cursing him to crawl on his belly and eat dust for the rest of his life; it sounds like the serpent used to walk on his legs and eat steak before that. (but that is another discussion). Then God punishes the woman with painful child birth and Adam is punished with hard work on earth. And of course, they are thrown out of the paradise.

Then God feels guilty about over reacting. He was guilty for about a thousand years. So he sends his only son, Jesus to save humanity from their sins caused by the sin of Adam and Eve, which is called the original sin. To appease God’s anger, Jesus has to pay the price with his own blood. So Jesus dies on the cross and saves us through his blood. And the salvation that Jesus brings about is eternal life with God after we die and go to heaven.

This is the story that we have been told for 2000 years. This is the story that continues to be told from many pulpits. Your hear this story from TV and radio preachers. If you listen to Moody Radio FM 81.3 this is the main story you hear all the time. Pat Robertson talks about it on his TV program called 700 Club. Billy Graham preached this story for more than five decades and his son Franklin repeats it today.

There is nothing wrong with the story itself. But this story has not served the world well. Look around you. Is our life any better because of this story? Is humanity experiencing peace and harmony because of this story?

I grew up believing this story. The nuns taught this story in catechism class. The priest preached it during mass. I did not ask any questions. I just believed it but I don’t remember this story having any impact on my life those days.

May be we need to tell a different story about who we are and how we came about. A new story about a more benevolent God than a punishing God. A new story about Jesus and how he saves us. Are we born with original sin or original blessing? Changing the story could change your life.

Now you may be thinking, Oh, no, Paul don’t make up a story. We know you are a progressive thinker, but don’t tell us any story you have cooked up to confuse us; besides, we are Christians, and we believe in the Bible. We can only believe a story if it is in the Bible.

I respect that; as a matter of fact the story that I am going to tell you, is in the bible. But it is rarely told. I listen to a lot of religious radio and TV. I hear no one telling this story. So, the story I am going to tell you I did not make it up. It is not taken from any modern book or magazine. It is not a new age story. It is as old as the bible itself.

Let us open our Bibles to Genesis chapter one.

Many people don’t know that there are TWO creation stories in the bible. The first creation story is in Genesis chapter 1 and in 3 verses of chapter 2. The rest of chapter two and entire chapter 3 contain the second creation story.

It is the second story that gets all the attention. As I said, our whole history of salvation is built up around the second story. The main thrust of that story, is the fall of Adam and Eve.

Now, let me summarize, the barely believed, rarely told, and totally ignored, first creation story, in Gen 1 till 2:3. In this story, the first 25 verses are details about each day of creation of the universe: Creation of night and day, sun and moon and stars, waters and rivers, vegetation, trees and plants, living creatures, animals etc..and finally, in two verses: 26 & 27, the story of creation of humans.

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image; in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground:

V.27 SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM, MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.

That is it; so simple yet so powerful. So in the first story, the creation of man and woman is told using two powerful verses. In the second story, it is told using 45 verses.

In the first story, there is no mention of creating man using clay, there is no mention of a rib surgery on Adam to create woman. No insinuation of secondary status for the woman. In the second story, the woman is created AFTER the man was created, like an after thought, like a helper to man; some one who can remedy the loneliness of man. She is not the main character; she is in a supporting role.

But in the first creation story, there is no indication of creation of woman as an after thought; not as a helper; not as an accessory to man; not in a supporting role; but as an equal partner with the same calling and dignity as man himself.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of god he crated him, male and female he created THEM.

But men, who usually tell the story of creation, never want to focus on this story.

Is it possible that throughout history, women were treated as second class citizens because we focused on the second story of creation? Is it possible that St. Paul said that women should not speak in church because of this story? Is it possible that women were considered the weaker sex and as objects of sexual exploitation by men, because we focused on the second creation story?

Is it possible that women had no voting rights in this country until 1920 because we focused on this story? Is it possible that in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive a car because of this story? Is is possible that in Afghanistan, women need a male companion when she goes out in public and she has to cover her face with a burka? Think about it.

Had we focused on the first creation story, throughout history, our attitude towards women would have been very different. Issues such as gender equality, wage inequality, women’s liberation, feminism, abortion, me-too movement etc. that cause so much rancor and divisions in our societies could have been avoided, had we told the first creation story.

Women also shouldn’t have to waste their time inventing words like womenshipping. Do you know what I am talking about? We have in this church CMF, Christian Men’s Fellowship and and CWF, Christian Women’s Fellowship. But women are not fellows. So to assert their independence from fellows, they created a word — womenshipping!

Women should not have to fight for equality and men don’t have to condescendingly confer it on them, because God has already bestowed it upon them at creation.

Had we focused on the first story about humans being created in the image and likeness of God our attitude towards homosexuality would have been very different.

Evangelical Christians have used the second story about Adam and Eve to denigrate and demonize our gay brothers and sisters by the mindless repetition of this phrase: God created Adam and Eve, not Adam an Steve. It is statement filled with ignorance and arrogance and it has influenced the thinking and behavior of millions of Christians towards gays. Had they believed the first creation story that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, they could not demean, or dishonor gay individuals.

Had we focused on the first story we would have taken better care of the environment. When God said, have dominion over the earth, he was saying to us You are in charge, take care of the earth, take care of all earthlings, plants, animals and humans, and create heaven on earth.

Had we focused on the first creation story, we would have entered into a partnership with God by co-creating a better world instead of feeling like helpless victims of a capricious God.

We have shaped our spiritual lives based on the second creation story for so long and, as a result we think of ourselves as unworthy, weak, and fallen. We think we are bad, and others are bad, and whole world is a bad place. We forget that in the first story, at the end of each day of creation it says :

And God saw that it was good; and after creation of man and woman, god saw it was VERY GOOD. (Gen 1:10, 12,18,21, 25,31)

If God sees everything as good, why are we seeing anything as bad?

Now you hear me use the word story a lot. Because that is what they are — stories. Adam and Eve are not historical figures. The bible is not a historical or scientific book. We don’t gain historical information about our beginnings from the bible.

So if both are stories, why not choose the positive and empowering story that has better appeal for young people rather than the story of a talking snake and a naked couple?

Let me share with you two stories about my son’s autism and how choosing to believe one story above the other has completely changed my life.

According to my aunt who was a conservative catholic nun, the reason my son Johnny was born autistic because I left priesthood, and got married. According to her, Johnny’s autism is a punishment from God. Had I believed that story, I would have been a horrible husband, a terrible father and a miserable human being. I would spread that misery all around and contaminate my surroundings, literally creating and experiencing hell on earth.

Instead, I believe and tell a different story about Johnny’s autism. I believe the story of the blind man in the gospel of John chapter 9. When his disciples asked Jesus:

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus said: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Looking at Johnny as a display and manifestation of God’s work, completely shifts my attitude towards him and helps me to laugh at his antics, forgive his flaws, love him unconditionally and celebrate his life each day.

Instead of staking your life around the second creation story and living from the vantage point of original sin, shape your life around the first story and, live your life as an original blessing.

You are created blessed, to be a blessing for others!

Believe that. It is in the bible. It is in the first chapter of the first book of the bible. Use that story to shift your thinking and shape your life