The Logic of Eve

I was created
fully formed
I was given a purpose.
“Help the man”
But help him with what?
We live in paradise!

The man was told
about the tree.
I got it second hand,
from him.
“Death if you eat the fruit!”
An easy rule to follow –
Eat any delicious fruit but that.

I am created the chatty one
I will talk to anyone.
The man says little
Just “this shall be called…”
and “that shall be called”
No logic, discussion, conclusions.
Is this where my help is needed?

The serpent talks
Says more than the man.
He provokes my thoughts.
“Did God REALLY say this”
or “Really say that?”
Good questions.
I have only the hearsay.

God loves us
He made us perfect
He made a paradise
Where we live.
We want for nothing.
But I, I have an ordained purpose:
Help the man!

Help the man with what?
There is only one conundrum here.
It must be that!

Is this the help
God knows the man needs?
Am I to be
the first theologian?
To interpret God’s words
To explain the meaning
Knowing, as I do,
What he is like?

What is he like?
God is wonderful
He loves us
with all his heart
He wants only
whatever is good for us.
He can do us no harm.
For we are his own.

The words I heard
Are at odds
with what I know of God.
The serpent asks
“Did God say…?”
and I wonder
Well,
Did he?

It makes no sense.
I had the feeling
when the man said
“Nor touch it”
that he was adding
some emphasis of his own.
I suspect he hadn’t understood.

The serpent thinks
God is hiding something.
Hiding this knowledge
of good and evil
The knowledge
That would make us
like God himself.

Would he do that?
How can I know?
I am his creature.
He loves me.
He created me.
I am part of him.
But would he be so,
well, miserly in his gifts?

God gives us everything
All we need
He denies us nothing
So why set a trap?
Is this the help
I am to give the man?

I think the man
Misunderstood the words.
The serpent is right.
God will not kill us
for touching a tree
He created it
And put in our path.

And if this fruit
is good for life
God will surely want us
to enjoy it
benefit from it.
Or else I don’t know
My loving God at all!

God is here
He knows all
He knows the chats we have.
If the reptile is wrong
If I am wrong
God will pop by
and gently tell us so.

I have a purpose.
I am to help the man.
Something God feels,
For whatever reason,
He has to delegate.
God made me fit for this purpose.
Gave me a brain to solve this riddle.

Good God
Good garden
Good reptile.
Good people.
God saw that it was good.
All good.

If God is
Indeed a trickster
My help is needed more!
The man needs help
God knows!
Is my help
To protect us from God?

Is that why God
created me as helper?
Is it possible
He loves us
But knowing his own nature
Suspects he will be tricky
and destroy us?
Surely not!

God loves us
He made us
In his image
Why then would he want
to deny us
a part of himself?

God made me helper
God gave me the gift
to think this through
and help the man
Who is too fearful.

The serpent is right.
Eat the fruit!
Our eyes will be opened.
I am the helper.
I will try it first
and help the man.

Oh, and the fruit is good!
Why did I doubt?
God made the fruit
Of course it is good!
I shall give some
to the man.

He eats.
He knows I am his helper.
He knows
God made me to help him.
He trusts God
He trust me
Of course he eats!

Our eyes are opened
We know!
The reptile said we would.
Is this better
Than being dumb?
Well, we can’t go back.
So we must go on.

I say to the man
“God will be pleased”
But the man fears God.
Why, I cannot say.
I try to help.
I tell him
There is nothing to fear.
God loves us both.

The man knows
God sees us always.
Yet he tries to hide.
To disguise us
with leaves.
God is right
He really needs my help!

God finds us
Of course he does
He knows we ate the fruit.
The man dissembles.
Passes the buck.
But I am his helper.
So I explain to God.

“Your logic was tricky”
“The serpent fascinated me”
“It made sense”
I did as you asked
Did what I thought was right
in my role as helper
I helped.

“You were right, God.
It was not good
for the man to be alone.
Your creation is good
you made me clever
you bade me help him
to pass this test.”

“You made a fruit
That would make us thinkers
and more like you.
You gave us choice.
We chose to eat.
We chose to be like you.
You should be pleased!”

Even as he curses us
I know
He is secretly pleased.
But he won’t say it.
His creation is a success!
His creation can think!
His creation is wonder-filled!

We passed the test.
He sends us out
Into the world he made.
Knowing we will
Always be
His beloved children
Who he has raised
Perfectly.

 

NOTE: For an interesting and insightful analysis of the meaning of the word “helper”, I recommend Marg Mowczko’s blog >>> http://margmowczko.com/a-suitable-helper/

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