Of temptation, admitting one's fault, and faith in God (among others) in just one story

Sometimes when I look at the story of the original sin backwards, it strikes me that it is very much like the myths that we know of today. Sometimes I go thinking that maybe the story was created in an attempt to explain some of man’s predicaments: why there are temptations, why man succumbs to temptations, why man suffers, etc. But even if I don’t look at the story that way, my interpretation of it stays the same.

Sometimes the original sin is invoked by men to tell women that women are embodiments of temptation; that it is because of women that men commit sin. But I guess it should not be viewed as such.

I think the original sin should be viewed as an illustration of how weak man (meaning, both man and woman) is in the face of temptation (as illustrated by Eve believing the serpent, and Adam succumbing to temptation and biting into the forbidden fruit); of man’s incapacity to admit his fault and to take responsibility for his actions; and of man’s tendency to blame others for his mistakes (as illustrated by Adam blaming Eve for making him bite the fruit, instead of himself for being not wise or strong enough to have fought the temptation and chided Eve instead). To this day, many still blame others for their weaknesses, for their failures, for their wretched existence.

I don’t think the original sin is a question of who tempted whom, or who made whom do what. Neither is it a gender issue. I think it is about man being handicapped in making the right choices. (And may be that explains why, to this day, making the right choices is often a struggle to many.) Eve could have chosen not to listen to the serpent’s speech. Adam could have stopped Eve from listening to the serpent; or, if Eve persisted, he could have left her do the biting. He could have chosen not to have anything to do with the forbidden fruit. Instead, he took the fruit from Eve and bit it.

Finally, the original sin can also be about man’s lack of faith in God, as illustrated by Eve (and Adam) believing in the serpent, rather than trusting God’s warning.



//First posted by SEB in Ms. LJ Galleta’s blog in www.iluko.com .

My Home

It is neither made of steel nor stone
Nor wood nor glass nor iron;
But amidst any misfortune and storm
It stands, magnificent and strong —
Such is my home.

Built not by machine nor by hand
It stands not on a barren land;
On a lofty plane it is nestled deftly
It’s foundation, as hard as anything can be —
Well-built, it must be.

Rooms, it has; and doors and windows, too
All wide open for everyone to pass through;
Walls, I know there is none
And locks, I can’t think of a need for one —
My home welcomes everyone.

Inside, it is warm and soft and cozy
Everyone who visits is hummed a melody;
Its rhythm, not quite out of the ordinary
But its beat, sincere and steady —
In it, I dwell comfortably.

At night, the dweller in my home sleeps peacefully
Of the howling winds, she does not worry;
Of the wars outside, she is not at all bothered
The good always wins, she is assured —
A secure heart doesn’t easily get injured.

---------
Sherma E. Benosa
February 26, 2007; 12:37am

Misunderstood

Dear Diary,

I feel depressed. People stop at nothing to have me, yet very few seem to see me as I am. All they seem to see in me is my superficial aspect; my depth, they completely ignore. They look everywhere for me — in products that promise to deliver me to those who use them, and in treatments that guarantee I’d appear in those who undergo them. And while the patrons of these products and treatments are happy with the results, thinking they now possess me, they don’t know that all they have attained is just but an aspect of me — the one that appeals to the eyes.

That’s why I am disheartened. How can I tell them they are looking in the wrong places, for the wrong concept? How can I tell those good-looking people that it’s just a part of me that they have; that although they are gifted of my physical manifestations, they cannot truly have me if they don’t embody me in their thoughts, words and actions? How can I let them see that while an aspect of me can be had by using those products and undergoing those procedures, the more important part of me resides in them, in the recesses of their hearts? How can I make them realize that I am more than what they take me for, that I am deeper than what they give me credit for? How can I make them understand that I am goodness, and goodness is me?

Oh, it’s sad being gravely misunderstood.

Beauty

Sherma E. Benosa
//February 21, 2007; 11:30am

On beauty...

Beauty is one of the most subjective of all concepts. It means different things to different people. What is beautiful to some may seem ordinary to others. That is a fact of life.

More often than not, we see that which we want to see. Remember the story of the elephant and the six blind men? What we are sure to be right in our perspective proves to be wrong when seen in a different perspective. And what’s more, what seems to be the defining factor of a thing in a certain point of view may actually be just one of the several factors that comprise the whole. At times, that which we put so much emphasis on may not even matter at all when a thing is viewed in its entirety.

Beauty (or lack of) is not all that defines a person. Although it is the first thing that we see, it is not really the one that tells us who the person is.

Am I beautiful, or am I not? That depends on who is the judge. I do know for a fact that I’ll never be a beauty queen. But I don’t mind. What matters is that, whenever I look into the mirror, I like what I see. I smile at my reflection, and she smiles back at me.



/First posted in iluko.com in response to an anonymous posting.