In the early 1900’s Mark Twain wrote strange little works called “Extracts from Adam’s Diary” and “Eve’s Diary.” Twain was never a lover of religion and took shots at Christianity. He disliked how Christianity had a tendency to pull people out of the world and make them of no practical use. He said at one time, “If Christ were here, there is one thing he would not be — a Christian.” (That’s not at all true, but still a sharp barb all the same.)
So, in writing the “diaries” of Adam and Eve, there is no ideal, mystical paradise. There are real people, in a real garden, and so, as there has always been, there’s a good deal of misunderstanding between this man and woman.
Writes Eve in her diary, “All the week I tagged around after him and tried to get acquainted. I had to do the talking, because he was shy, but I didn’t mind it. He seemed pleased to have me around.”
And writes Adam in his, “This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. I don’t like this; I am not used to company.”
However, through all the confusion and misunderstanding, they remain with each other. They endure. And finally, they understand.
When Eve passes away, Adam sitting by her grave, writes this,
“Wheresoever she was, there was Eden.”
Twain’s right, there’s something to be said for not flying off into heavenly la-la land. We were born of the soil and to the soil we will return.
So, while we’re here, we ought to dig and take root.
And maybe by the end, we’ll have learned that life doesn’t get any better than learning to love those next to us.
Tom+