M. tells me something she learned from the Simpsons.  (This statement alone would disqualify me as a good parent in some circles:)

Whar word can you make out of the word ‘danger’ without losing or adding any letters?

J. found a number of interest answers but the Simpsons answer was ‘danger.’

‘danger’ out of  ‘garden.’  hmm….

For many people the story of Adam and Eve in the garden is essential mythology.  It is no more or less relevant than Zeus or Dagon; stories of dead gods.

But I consider it to be not only a foundational story about the human condition, but also a story connected to our collective family tree. 

I would like to distill a well worn story into something essential–two people who are given the opportunity to abide in the safety of a perfect world are derailed by the lie that they can possess control.

control/rebellion/authority/pride/power

seem to be thorns on the same pernicious weed

What happens if we say, watch out, there is danger in the garden?

danger in the snake and his pernicious lie

and in our own tenacious desire for control

who wants to be out of control?

I think that we all have to constantly admit that there is danger in the garden.  If we do this we face it head an try to minimize its damaging power.

Instead I see us building gates and fences and eighty foot walls around our gardens in the illusion that the walls make us safe

but in this we are wrong, our own hearts are traitors in the fortress

willing to sell out for control

this is sin, this is the white washed sepulchres that Jesus talked about

and the only antidote  is to always remember that you can spell danger in garden and garden in danger

but the only cure is the Cross.

Luke 9:23-27