Adam and Eve’s fall from communion to autonomy was a tragic event that haunts us today. As I’ve been thinking about their experience and what we can learn about ourselves from it, it dawned on me that Genesis 3:10 contains in miniature the whole dynamic of the Fall. I call that dynamic, “Fear of Frying”, and it still functions in us today.
It goes something like this:
Withdrawing from communion leaves one alone to engage reality with their own scant resources. Therefore, when they come upon something good, they are afraid because it highlights their lack, and this sends them running for cover.
Take a look at Genesis 3:10:
He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
We can sum up this process in three steps: Sees Good => Fears Lack => Hides Self.
The following chart outlines the “Fear of Frying”:
| Sees Good | “I heard the sound of You” | * Recognition of God’s standard. * Recognition of moral obligation (do right and be good). * Recognition of one’s duty/responsibility. |
| Fears Lack | “I was afraid because I was naked” | * Ashamed of limitations. * Not sure efforts are enough. * Others are better than self. * Can’t live up to standard. |
| Hides Self | “so I hid myself” | * Boast in talents. * Don’t admit lack. * Compete with others. * Dominate others. |
The dynamic of the Fall works in us today. Because we mistrust God and try to be independent from Him and others, we experience a false sense of shame and insecurity that prevents us from meaningfully sharing ourselves with others, and often leads us to actually hurt them. Broken communion with God becomes broken communion with others.
It’s a miserable existence God never meant us to have.