How many of our ongoing narratives reflect the way we continue to interpret the creation stories, we learned as children?
For a brief moment everything was good, in fact, very good. By chapter three, very good had shifted to shame, blame and separation.
Man had dominion over everything. One generation later, simple dominion had become human-not-so-kind and an obsession with power and greed.
With such a beginning, it is no wonder that many people hang on to a past garden or put hope in a future paradise. All of us; however, live in the space between, creating gardens, heavens and hells, amid duality.
I remember an event marking my coming of age story. Things were ideal. Then an experience opened my eyes and I found myself figuratively orphaned. The world was not altogether safe anymore.
Looking back, I could say Serpent invited me to shed an innocence that was headed toward naiveté. Soon afterwards, I labeled things as good or bad. Snakes were the latter, as in my creation story. Later, I saw the beauty in Snake, lying beneath the literal, when she asked me to come around full circle to holding paradoxes.
In my tradition, a savior and inspiring example came. When we cling only to being rescued, we miss the Sacred within ourselves that allows us to become co-creators. Instead, we remain in an old skin that dulls our discernment and inhibits us from using our power wisely.
In stripping Jesus of his humanity, we do not have to take any responsibility for tomorrow. All we have to do is worship, believing that Savior God, or any authoritative other, will take care of everything. That is the relationship between a father and his underdeveloped adult child.
We can trust that the laws of the universe are working for our good while also acting on behalf of the whole. Shedding skin requires working through separation pains. After repeating the cycles of joy and sorrow present in most major choices, we read creation stories differently, and begin appreciating Life in the here and now.
Sacred Ruminations*
Try re-storying an old narrative to meet you where you are today. Bring your experiences beneath the literal words to discover fresh meanings.
Mary Oliver asked the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”