The Garden Puzzle

After God had given Eve to Adam as his mate, God told the two that they now needed to become one. Obediently, they did just that. Adam and Eve seemed to be joined at the hip. They were so much in love they couldn’t bear being separated. They did everything together-they ate their every meal together, worked together, relaxed together, prayed together and even bathed together. All of Eden rejoiced in their oneness, happy that Adam was no longer lonely.

One day as, hand-in-hand, Adam and Eve were strolling naked together in the Garden of Eden, they heard a voice, "It is not good for one never to be alone."

“What do you mean, dear?: Eve asked, turning to Adam.

"I didn’t say anything, my love," a confused Adam replied.

"Well, dear, someone certainly did."

Adam and Eve were no longer naked as they walked back home, for now they were wrapped in a puzzle.

Whether the communal life is one of husband and wife, of monks or nuns or different forms of family, the words of the book of Genesis lead us to the assumption that everything should be done together. Shared meals, work, recreation, conversation are the first word of family and community, but is togetherness the only word?

– Anonymous

December 3, 2006