Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - Wednesday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 2:4b-9, 15-17 and Mark 7:14-23]The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being....The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The Lord God gave man this order: "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die." [Genesis]
The "second story" of creation begins with chapter 2 in Genesis. The thrust of this story, however, is not about the majesty and wonder of creation, but rather about human psychology and the origin of evil. Humankind is offered a blissful opportunity as long as they obey a simple rule - stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This becomes a challenge to humankind because it means the discovery of the power to make decisions. Despite the warning that a particular decision will bring dire consequences, humankind will see it as a "dare," which the encounter with the serpent will make very attractive and almost irresistible! The sorcerer's apprentice discovers the book of spells!
There are times when I think all of us wish we didn't have to make decisions! But that freedom to do so is one of God's greatest gifts to us as long as we exercise good stewardship of the gift. Along with that gift come appetites which continually challenge that stewardship! We will have to wait a couple more days for the encounter with the serpent. Tomorrow, God adds to the gift of decision-making, the gift of relationship, with the creation of woman to be a "suitable partner" to "the man." Decision-making becomes far more complicated when it involves other people!! At least for today, we could marvel at the fact that we can make decisions. The discovery of consequences and responsibility are just ahead! Stay tuned! AMEN