The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.” – Genesis 3:4-5 (MSG)

The woman takes a bite of the apple, then she passes it on to the man, and that’s when it AAALLL started.  One little apple from one little tree. Except the name of the tree is Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

Why is that apple such a big deal? Don’t we need knowledge of good and evil?  We talk about it all the time, mostly in the context of who’s right and who’s wrong. Elections, Economics, Religion, Race Relations, Immigration, who’s sleeping with who, who’s lying… the list goes on. and on. and on. What fires you up? Pick your poison.

You know what scares me the most? The number of people who actually think they know enough to judge. Maybe that’s why God said to leave that tree alone. Knowing and not budging from what we know is the death of us. When we are motivated by personal opinions rather than actual persons, we’ve separated ourselves from each other.  If we are separated from each other, we are separated from God and from all that is good.

Be curious, not judgmental. – Walt Whitman

Trust God in the dark until the light returns. – A. W. Tozer

I find it devastating that mass shootings are becoming so normal they only make headlines when they break records. That some lives end way too tragically and way too soon. That when wild animals and small children collide, our collective grief becomes opinionated and divisive before the dust even settles or the boats even dock.

It’s summer and the sun is shining hard and hot but news this week has been dark and suffocating. With the darkness comes the hard questions: “Why does God allow it?” “Why should I follow that kind of God?”

Our questions echo back to us hollow – as if we’re in a cave.

In the Bible (John 11) there’s a story about a friend of Jesus named Lazarus who died and was buried in a cave.

Lazarus’ family and Jesus’ disciples have the same questions of Jesus that we have: “Where have you been and what are you doing and why did you let this happen?”

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I’ve been called Mom, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend, Chaplain, Pastor, Ma’am (really?!?), Honey, and a half dozen other things…some I will not repeat! And the sad truth is…sometimes the worst things I’m called are the things I call myself!

Know what I mean?

God’s message to us is that no matter what we are called, God calls us HIS.

The Bible says:
What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. -1 John 3:1

As you interact with all those important people in your lives – the ones that call you mom or dad or sister or brother or daughter or son; husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend or “I’m not quite sure yet”; Sir or Ma’am or whatever your title may be; and most important when you think about who you are – know that you are a child of God. And God loves you more than words can describe!

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage. – The Smashing Pumpkins

He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. – 2 Peter 1:4

Just a few things I believe we have in common with raccoons:

Our desire for security traps us. Little raccoon figured it would be safer in our attic than outside where there are coyotes and such, and he ended up in a trap. There’s no real security in believing what we want to believe. The truth is our real safety. Even when we don’t like the truth.

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