The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Monday, 1 June 2015 - Scripture: Genesis 3:8-15

The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Monday, 1 June 2015 - Scripture: Genesis 3:8 They heard the voice of Adonai, God, walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai, God, among the trees in the garden. 9 Adonai, God, called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I ordered you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Adonai, God, said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me, so I ate.”

14 Adonai, God, said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all livestock and wild animals. You will crawl on your belly and eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will put animosity between you and the woman, and between your descendant and her descendant; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

Would it have helped to post a sign in the Garden: "Position filled; humans need not apply?" God is God. Humans are not. The humans did not trust God as God; they desired God's knowledge. This broke their relationships with Creation, each other and God. Their distrust and new knowledge resulted in anxiety and fear, which we know well. Adam and Eve hid in fear, but God sought them.
Moreover, God protected them by reinforcing limits. Barred from the Garden, Adam and Eve emigrated; they became the first exiles. Ever devoted to reconciling relationships, God began relentless endeavors to restore Creation's good. God accompanied the immigrants into their new home.
So began humanity's history. We are a people on the move, by force or by choice, responding to migration's push and pull. Yet, wherever we journey, God seeks us, forgives us and reconciles with us to restore Creation's good relationships.
Dear Creator of all that is good, we thank you for nature's magnificence and rejoice that we are a part of it. Forgive our attempts to be god, which lead to broken relationships. Help us trust you and seek the common good within our communities, as you intended. Amen.
Mary Simonson Clark
Redeemer Partner Engagement, Minneapolis, Minn.
Adjunct Instructor, Social Work, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minn.
Master of Arts in Theology/Master of Social Work , 2007
Genesis 3:8 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.
9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate."
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."[New Revised Standard Version]
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