Advent in Narnia: Adam and Eve

Friday, December 11, 2020

—Hello

Welcome to another day of Advent in Narnia.

Genesis 3:21, 23-24

“And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them— therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Have you ever thought of the creation story as being part of the Christmas story? I had not until I read today’s Advent in Narnia entry titled, “Adam and Eve” then it made perfect sense. Our story, yours and mine begin with God and will ultimately end with God, all that remains is with whom & where we will spend eternity. The story of Adam and Eve is an ancient story and a popular story even among nonbelievers. As Christians this is a story about being human. The fall of man, sin committed in the Garden caused a separation from God. God was disappointed and rightfully angry that Adam and Eve could not follow a simple command. God’s disappointment and anger did not make Him stop loving them, God’s love is not conditional with our actions. Even though God sent Adam and Eve out the Garden, the paradise they were created in and from, God clothed them before closing the gates to the Garden. I’m not sure we, as the human race have progressed much since the ousting from the Garden, Eve blamed the serpent, Adam blamed Eve, and today, don’t we see the same behaviors in one another. Taking responsibility is the right move to made but it is also the hardest. I think oftentimes people don’t trust that God’s love will continue. Jesus’ birth was to bring good news and glad tidings to a lost world. He came because He loves us, every single living thing. We are His creation, we are His beloved.

Adam and Eve, a Christmas story. Medieval Christians honored Adam and Eve as the father and mother of all people and commemorated their story on December 24, the day before Christmas. Churches would have town-wide mystery plays of Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Nativity along with other stories to commemorate the day and teach the story of salvation. *For further information about this click the following link: https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Adam+and+Eve+Day

Switching storylines, to Narnia and the four Pevensie children, we can draw some connections and maybe even parallels from the Garden and the Wardrobe:

—God gave Adam and Eve clothes as they left paradise to a new place

—The children find fur coats as the enter a new land called Narnia.

—Adam and Eve faced dangers they had never experienced, working the ground; the very soil from which Adam had been created. They had to wear clothing which was new, they had no need of them before sin happened. Adam and Eve needed to learn and grow.

—Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy had coats that were too big for them, they needed to grow into them. Each child will learn and grow while in Narnia and eventually become new people, the Kings and Queens of Narnia.

Many generations have lived on the far side of paradise and as I mentioned earlier we still do not do a very good job of following God’s commandments. Even still, God loves us.

Isaiah 9:6

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.

Questions for Reflection:

• Medieval Christians saw Adam and Eve & Jesus and Mary as matched pairs. Adam and Eve brought death to humanity; Jesus and Mary brought life. Are there some other ways you might compare and contrast them?

• The story of the Fall is one of the most well known in the Bible. Why do you think this is? Does the story of the Fall speak to your life?

~Peace~Charlotte

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Adam+and+Eve+Day