A Dream: The Problem of Pride

I had a kind of strange dream this morning. I dreamed that i had a group of Jr. Highers at a lock in at a mall. We came to the mall and the youth were having a blast running around, eating, playing games, etc. It was around 3 or 4 in the morning and i had thought that the doors were locked. While i was standing there some older youth (mainly Sr. Highers) that i didn't know came to the door and were trying to get in. They looked like they could easily create some major problems.

They were forcing their way into the mall. I tried to confront them and kick them out, but they were clearly not interested in taking "no" for an answer. I was heatedly yelling at them to go away and that they didn't belong there. They asked me who i was and what right i had to tell them they couldn't be there. So i stuck my chest out and arrogantly told them that i was the youth pastor, and that this was "MY" Jr. High youth group. During this the older kids gave one last attempt to get in, then took off.

In the mean time the youngest of their group snuck through. As soon as he got in the doors he ran over to the sound system and started messing with the buttons and dials, obviously trying to distract me enough for his friends to get in. I finally had to grab him by the ear and just about drag him out of the building. His friends had already gone, but i threw him out and yelled at him to get out and stay out.

That is right about when i woke up very shaken up. I was so ashamed of myself. There were these young people who were out in the middle of the night looking for something to do. I had the opportunity to reach out to them, instead i arrogantly drove them off. I was so afraid of them messing up my perfect little evening youth group activity... challenging my authority... making me look bad. Instead of reaching out to them, even the youngest one who actually would have belonged there, i drove them away.

Needless to say, it was humbling seeing how easy it is for my pride to get in the way of who i am and what i am passionate about.

Image from Ferran used under cc license.

Naked and Ashamed?

I think it's interesting that after eating the forbidden fruit, and their eyes being open to the knowledge of the good and evil, the very first thing that Adam and Eve notice, outside of the decision and direct consequences, is that they are naked. And, that they were ashamed of it. They had been naked the entire time previously. They had seen each other naked day after day hour after hour, time after time. They talked that way. They walked that way. They slept that way. They made love that way. They lived that way. Adam, Eve, and even God had seen nothing wrong with their being naked before they ate of the fruit. There was no shame and no judgment in any way, shape, or form. They could have gone on being naked for forever and it wouldn't have been an issue. Apparently they hadn't even considered needing clothing for warmth or protection from the elements because they didn't have anything made already. They had to fashion for themselves covering and clothing from the leaves around them.

I'm wondering, who are they ashamed of being seen naked by? They had seen each other naked day in and day out. Theirs was the first marriage. There was no reason for them to be ashamed of being naked in each others presence. God Himself had made them. He knew them in and out, piece by piece. Yet the very first thing that occurs in recognizing the knowledge of good and evil is that they are naked and have need of covering.

There are a great many things that i think i understand about the Bible, God, etc. Just look at everything i've written about the first 3 chapters of Genesis alone. Yet this is something that i have a hard time wrapping my puny brain around. Why is being naked such a shameful thing after Adam and Eve ate the fruit, but not before? Why is it considered shameful now? Why wasn't it then? Obviously it is an important concept since it is set as "the" major issue after eating the forbidden fruit. I could think of a hundred different reasons, explanations, and concepts for this change. Everything from looking at how young children are not ashamed of being naked and as they grow older they build that need for modesty to how the need for covering builds and enhances the desires of and for intimacy within the relationship. It doesn't matter. I still don't fully grasp it, and i may never. For now, that's alright.

Image from northdevonfarmer used under cc license.