“They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25 CJSB).
This year I committed to reading the Bible through in one year. I will blog through my journey and invite you to read along with me. What ideas stand out to you when reading scripture? What new insights will you gain from the old traditional stories and what new faith accounts will you discover? If you read along with me I hope the time set aside for delving into the Bible brings you joy and a new awareness about the workings of our amazing God.
Today’s reading covered Genesis 1-3. The accounting of both creation stories and the expulsion out of the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the story, there is a brief moment where the man and woman were naked. Now, while the could have literally had no clothing on their bodies, I think the text invites us to go deeper into the intimate relationship God had with Adam and Eve. Perhaps the lack of clothing meant that they hid nothing from the Creator of the World. Their relationship was communal and delighted in the joy of worship in the presence of Elohim.
But things changed when trust was broken. Now they covered themselves with clothing, because they hid in shame. The relationship Adam and Eve shared with the Divine could no longer exist. After eating the fruit, they did understand the difference between good and evil, but what the snake failed to say is that their actions marked a drastic difference with their relationship with God. Within the heart, with the bite of the fruit, sin entered the very fabric of the human DNA. No longer could humanity stand in the full presence of God.
I sometimes find myself in the same situation. I want to hide part of my heart and keep it locked away afraid that God will not like me when I am discovered as a phony. I hide myself in all kinds of clothing like a big coat of denial, or a sweater of fear. We all know what it means to struggle often keeping our greatest hurts and pains locked away from other people and ultimately even God.
From a Pastor's Point of View 
Hide, yes I often want to hide from God. He is so perfect and I am so imperfect. It is when we come to realize how much He loves us that we are truly humbled. It is when we can trust the Lord enough and let Him in that He can truly change us.