Reflections of Eden

This morning as I sit here with my cup of coffee, long before daylight, looking out at the dark street, porch lights or solar lights glowing here and there, I think about the comfort of light in darkness, a cup of hot coffee to start the day, and I think about how we humans try to push back the night,  how we long to feel comfortable, happy, safe, and loved. And sometimes, as I read about Creation and the perfection of the first home of mankind, I wonder if perhaps our love of beauty, of art or music or literature, our fascination with order and comfort as well as adventure are pale reflections of the perfect, indescribably lovely place in which God placed Adam and Eve. I believe that somewhere deep within us is a memory of an ancient realm called Eden.

The world, as God made it, must have been completely satisfying and fulfilling. It was all that anyone could wish for, but then along came temptation in the form of a snake, and sin changed things. Sin always does that, doesn’t it? It takes something splendid and twists it. We try, in our puny ways, to regain that first perfection, but only God can do that.

God, the Creator of Eden and the whole universe, is a God of love, justice, and order. I also believe that He is a God of practicality and music, harmony, and beauty. The laws which govern heaven and earth did not happen by accident. They are the evidence of a loving, all-wise God. The Bible says we are made in His image, so we strive, in our limited ways, to write and sing songs, play musical instruments, write stories and books,  draw, paint, and sculpt. We plan, build,  and explore the intricacies of mathematics and science. We till the earth and exult in the fruit of our labor. We try to bring beauty, order, and comfort into our homes; we love and care for each other. We want to make our world a better place. It seems to me, as I sit here this morning and even now, the darkness of night is about to give way to the light of day, that we ourselves are a reflection of a place God created eons ago, reflections of a garden called Eden.

Bee on Bee Balm