My Heroes? Adam & Eve

Some people seem to get stuck with a bad rep. Take poor ‘ol Adam & Eve. From the Judeo-Christian perspective, these two were the very first screw ups. Because of one little indiscretion, they were tossed out of the Garden of Eden. Even worse, THEIR fall from grace became EVERYBODY’S fall from grace.

I think we should cut these two some slack. In fact, I think these two brave souls should be commended for their independence. Had they not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, can you imagine how drab and mundane our lives would be today?

I realize that a lot people think that living in paradise would be great – having no concerns or worries. Everything, at any time, would be idyllic and carefree. However, as Taoists and many others have aptly pointed out, a person can’t understand anything UNLESS a person understand its opposite.

Had Adam and Eve not eaten the forbidden fruit, they wouldn’t have had any way of knowing that they were IN paradise. Paradise only has any resonance IF you understand what isn’t paradise. If paradise is ALL you know, then what exactly is it?

None of us can understand good if we don’t concurrently understand evil. Happiness only has meaning if you have felt sadness before. Light only makes sense juxtaposed to darkness. Tall can only be significant compared to short. Forward can only be forward if something else is left behind.

If lemons were the only food you had ever consumed during your lifetime and you met someone who only ate peaches, how would either of you explain to the other what your particular fruit tasted like?

You wouldn’t know to say that a lemon is sour because the taste of the lemon is all you know. In order for you to characterize it AS sour, it must be sour compared to something else. Likewise, your new acquaintance wouldn’t know to say that a peach is sweeter than a lemon simply because she has no idea what a lemon tastes like.

As I think it should be easy to see, we owe a debt of gratitude to Adam & Eve (and, to be honest, most of the credit SHOULD go to Eve). Their singular act of disobedience is what gives each of our lives meaning. Their defiance is what gives each of our lives definition.

If there was no meaning and no definition, would any of us even be conscious that we’re alive?