As we approach our third week in Lent, I am journeying with Daily Reflections on Hope and Change, from the book “Faith on the Move”. Today, I am adapting and sharing with you words from a story submitted, once again, by Won Hur. I should point out that all the stories in this book have been submitted by refugees or new arrivals to Canada and are musings on the journeys they have travelled.
This week’s story is entitled “Banished from Eden”.
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 among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Gen: 3: 8-11
It must have been heartbreaking for Adam and Eve to be banished from their home in the Garden of Eden, a paradise on earth, because they ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. As a result of this, Adam had to work for a living, and Eve had to endure painful and dangerous childbirth. But, before that, Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were ashamed of their nakedness. They were also feeling guilty for denying God.
We, too, hide when we are ashamed, when we feel we have done something wrong or made mistakes which can tarnish our reputation or impeccable self-image. We stay away from our churches or, sometimes, even leave the church altogether. We alienate ourselves from the very source which nourishes our spirits.
Yet, God does not give up so easily. Perhaps God called out to Adam and Eve not because God did not know where they were, but, rather, God wanted Adam to self-reflect on why he felt the need to hide from God?
In his ministry, Jesus recognized that people do feel unsettled or uneasy in this world. On this Lenten journey with Jesus, we are invited into the new reality which Jesus described as the kin-dom of God. Dwelling in that realm entails welcoming the strangers in our midst, knowing that we have all been strangers at one time or another.
Let us pray:
O God, sometimes we feel lost in this world. Sometimes we feel as if we are wandering aimlessly, without clear direction or meaning. In our times of solitude, you ask “Where are you?” Give us the courage to reflect honestly, and to see that you are always trying to find us and lead us into a new spiritual home in you. Amen