The Fall
1994 (Year B), 30 October / Pentecost 23
St Peter de Beauvoir Town
An African story tells of Nyame the Sky God making the world. All the rivers and all the hills. He made from himself a woman and a man and he put them on the earth. At first they were very happy and Nyame visited them each day. But soon they became lonely. They wanted more company, so from the clay in the river they made small people and hardened them over the fire. They were frightened Nyame would disapprove of what they were doing and when they heard him coming they put the little people at the back of the cave, or hid them under the embers of the fire. All the people they’d made came out the most peculiar colours from the palest pink to the darkest glowing black.
The story ends of course with Nyame discovering what had been going on and the two people having to admit to what they’d done. But far from being angry Nyame was pleased and all people, no matter what their colour, are a delight to him.
The myth bears striking similarities to the creation story of our faith. Everything God made was good. Everything. But good things never seem to last and so we arrive at the next great theme.
When the Jews came to reflect on creation as they experienced it -it certainly didn’t seem to be good. There was pain and they could feel it. There was suffering and they could see it. Something had gone wrong. There must be an explanation. They told a story, and so we get the second fantastic story. The Fall.
And it is an amazing story, that story of those two people in the Garden. In the beginning they’re almost like Gods and at the end they’re pathetic people hiding from their maker. Just like the story from Africa. It’s not unique. It’s a story which echoes every parent’s experience. Teachers’ eyes role back into their heads they’re so bored listening to it. ‘She told me to eat it. I didn’t want to but she made me.’ It’s not my fault, don’t blame me he did it.’ It’s a song, sung since the beginning of time. Nazis sang it, ‘We were only carrying out orders.’ The Gas Board and the Council play it all the time, ‘I’m only doing my job; it must be someone else’s fault.’ Criminals use it, ‘My childhood conditioned me to act like that. I had no choice.’ ‘I was frightened what might happen to me if I didn’t.’
It’s a story not just of disobedience. It’s about refusing to take responsibility. In the end of course like the African story, people have to own up. Adam and Eve have to do the same. So do we. But oh how we’d love to be able to duck out of it.
On Tuesday of this week ten people from St. Peter’s took responsibility for themselves. They took for themselves the responsibility that had been their parents and god parents at their baptism and they stood in front of the Bishop and a full church and said ‘I believe in God the Father who made the world ... I repent of my sins.’ It may be that some have more insight than others. It may be that some are older than others but nevertheless they stood there and said I can make these promises. I can do it in the sight of God and his church and what’s more I will do it. Then they did. And they were confirmed.
It’s always incredibly moving to see people making their own profession of faith. They do it with dignity and tremendous seriousness. Even the young. It was a joy and a privilege to be there, because it’s one of these once in a lifetime events. They will never be confirmed again. They might leave the church. They might join another, but they can never be re-confirmed. The decision they made last Tuesday will stay with them for good or ill, the rest of their lives. And they will never be able to say, ‘She made me do it. It’s not my fault’. Or, ‘Because he did what he did I could do no other.’
Ultimately, of course, we all have to take responsibility for our actions and it can be immensely painful. Adam and Eve knew it, so did the people created by Nyame. But the great moments, the once in a lifetime events in this life don’t take place when we escape from the pressures of this life and dream away our lives. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin must have known that when he chose the path of peace and went to the Peace Rally last night. The great moments, those which change us and the world happen when we enter the world’s suffering and temptation. When we take responsibility, when we make decisions.
And where God’s will finds its echo and response in our human weakness. When it is met by an obedient, ‘Yes I believe’, out of the depths – even if it is a small ‘yes’, a trembling ‘yes’, only a doubtful ‘yes’, just like some of those offered on Tuesday evening, then that person is transfigured and the divine splendour falls on them.
For the ‘yes’ in our lives is met by the deep longing of God. It is met by the Eternal ‘yes’ which caused this world to be. Grace flows through creation. Then the divine shines in the midst of the tensions and wretchedness of this world and the kingdom is ushered in. AMEN