Remember that Apple? The one in the story? It’s not what you think it is. Some stories say that it was from the Tree of Knowledge, but that was the greatest deception of all. It was from the Tree of Belief. The sin of man was not to know more, but to abandon faith and believe that we know more. To be certain. It is to turn away from God, and believe our own truths. It’s why we make unjustifiable rules, and write Books, and start wars, and demonize others, and pull triggers, and to not take responsibility that we were there pulling the trigger, too. We made it seem like it was “God’s Will”. We believe hard, because that original sin still controls us. We believe that our religion is superior, that homosexuality is a sin, that others are dangerous, that women are inferior, that the Bible is true, that we should be in control, that violence is an answer, that guns keep us safe, that might makes right, that anyone deserves to die, that we are the chosen, that Creation is to posses, that power comes from oppressing, that life is a zero sum game. Today, it is hard for me to have faith that we can move past this original sin. Instead, we are sinking deeper into it, with avarice and cruelty.Do you want to meet God, or see the face of Christ? Then put your Book away. Don’t hide behind it. Live among people who are different or hate you or you’re afraid of. Feed them, anyway. Give them health care, anyway. Listen to their sadness, anyway. Welcome them to your home, anyway. Reach out and defend them anyway, Accept their inheritance as children of Creation, anyway. Pray for and with them, anyway. Think this is not what God calls us to do? Do you believe it’s about following laws and rules and Books? Then maybe there’s a piece of apple stuck in your throat.