Saturday, November 28, 2015

Eve and the Tree of Life

When Eve looked at the Tree of Life what did she see?  Did she see its roots deep in the earth, and its branches among the stars? Did she see its cellular structure, its layers of living tissue, its pores that breathe out oxygen?  Did she see her equal among beings?  

Or did she see a thing, a green thing with a grey-brown bark, with fruit that was her right to pick and wood that was her right to take? Did she see a natural resource, a product, so many board-feet?

But Eve is a mythical figure.  No one knows what she saw. She said to Adam, “Eat!” and Adam did,  and God became afraid, and sent them away from the Garden to make a living on their own, which they did.  

If Eve was a smart girl, and I think she was, she took the Garden with her, however, and God could not stop her, because he has never understood Eve. The Tree of Life was already planted in her mind.  And she will share it with Adam, just as she did the apple of knowledge, whenever Adam stops worshipping God.  Which is to say whenever he stops provoking wars, building monuments to himself and God, and generally idolizing power.  So it might be a while. 



The Tree of Life is everywhere, if you can see it with the eyes of Eve.

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