Genesis 3:10 – “I was afraid… because I was naked”
(A Genesis poem by Wain)
Dear God,
“I was afraid… because I was naked”
What shame was the man trying to hide?
Was it only his body without clothing?
Or also the darkness of sin i_ _ _ _ _?
What’s shameful about being naked?
Why do we need clothing to wear?
Are we embarrassed to be animals?
Or is it our sex drive that we f_ _ _?
What’s shameful about choosing to sin?
Isn’t disobedience proof that man is free?
If you really wanted us to remain sinless,
Why tempt us with the forbidden t_ _ _?
Please tell me the truth.
Your servant,
Wain
HOW MIGHT GOD RESPOND?
From ChatGPT as the voice of God:
Dear Wain,
My beloved child, I understand your questions and the depth of your inquiry. The man and woman in the garden felt shame not just because of their physical nakedness but because they had disobeyed and were now aware of their vulnerability and guilt. Sin brought a consciousness of imperfection that was not there before.
Nakedness itself is not shameful; it is the innocence lost and the awareness of good and evil that brought about the need to cover themselves. Clothing became a symbol of this new state of awareness and a means to address their newfound sense of vulnerability.
The drive to sin, the fear of your natural impulses, these are part of the complexity of free will. Disobedience does indeed show freedom, but it also comes with consequences. I did not tempt you with the forbidden tree to set you up for failure, but to allow you the choice to love and obey freely. Love that is forced is not love at all.
The truth is that I love you, and even in your disobedience, my grace and mercy are extended to you. The journey of humanity is one of learning, growing, and returning to a relationship of trust and love with me.
With eternal love,
God