Modest Creation

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      All of Creation is modest, even shy, to
sight and touch. The summer foliage keeps the sky eyes from penetrating to the earth’s nakedness. The fall leaves float to a close covering that blankets the timid earth. Winter is a quiet time begging for a gentle and bashful snow.
      Spring is nothing more than a shamefaced and squeamish creation sprouting prim and Victorian shoots and flowers to quickly and finally cover the coy and bleak creation.
      We are made to not know nakedness.
In the days post-Eden we learned of our nakedness and were quick to pull the blinds
      Post-Eden is where we learned words like bashful, pretense, squeamish, timidity, shamefaced, prim, and skittish.
      Post-Eden is where we learned words like beauty, hideous, ugly, scar, popular, ostracize, clique, and exclusive.
      Post-Eden is where we learned words like calories, cholesterol, diabetes, herpes, and psoriasis. Sin was a huge growth of vocabulary of words to define our being.
      The Eden Creation was not modest but was blooming and open in every way, unashamed creation. There was no reason to cover, hide, or be coy. Creation was luxurious, fabulous, lavish, and delicious.
      "Innocence" was the only attribute ~ and when innocence was stolen ~ we had no words. We were speechless. We had no words to describe the new order.
      Language grew by volumes post-Eden.
At creation we became modest, timid, and shy. God became distant...we lost our image.

Rev. Dan Martin is pastor of First UMC, Hendersonville. He can be reached at moose1953@hotmail.com