Should we duck for cover?

Stated in simplest terms, the story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden tells us that decisions have consequences. In other words, we're responsible for the consequences that result from the decisions we make. The important point, though, at least to my mind, is not the consequences, rather, we are allowed to decide.

You will recall that Adam & Eve were forbidden to eat of the fruit of that particular tree under penalty of death. This is, for most people, the most drastic consequence of all. I don't know many of us who would blithely do something that we could believe would bring us certain death. Nevertheless, these two naïve and innocent humans did just that. Sure, we could say they were stupid. No one in their right mind would have made that choice, but that's arguing from now back to then. Regardless of who wrote the story, s/he chose for them to choose. The story tells us that we are allowed to choose, even if the consequences of our choices may be dire. Adam & Eve are, at least to me, the two bravest souls who have ever been described in literature. They just didn't defy some gangland boss or police officer or high-ranking military person or king or emperor or head-of-state. No, these two took it upon themselves to defy the ultimate Creator of the whole universe. Whether you believe in Him or not, in the context of the story, it is clear: you don't get any more powerful that this.

I'm sure there are those of you who are thinking, well the Serpent tempted them, he led them astray. But again, I say this is a false displacement of responsibility. If you look at the story closely, the Serpent didn't lie: though the penalty of death stood over their action, he told them they wouldn't die, and he was right. It's not just a matter of whom you choose to believe. The Serpent could have been wrong. No, in the end, Adam & Eve chose. Adam & Eve were responsible for their actions, and it was them who took this responsibility upon themselves.

To me, that took a lot of guts. It's not everybody who is willing, or able, to make a decision like that. Saying "no", defying authority, is an act of courage. And regardless of what you may think about the One exercising His authority, he could have done away with them, but He didn't. What's more, I can't help but think that He was just a little bit proud of his creations in the end. Anyone who is a parent has been in a similar, but certainly less existentially significant situation. There is also a satisfaction in seeing that your progeny will not just take anything thrown at them, even if it is from you.

The question quickly presents itself though: is there enough of this in the world right now (or was there ever)? Have we learned the lesson ourselves?