Do we live in a fallen world? What is the evil at work? Did God intend it this
way?
This is something I have contemplated and prayed about.
As with all things of God I have found a lot of paradox when seeking an answer.
I believe that I have been lead to an understanding by Gods trees and forests.
I love how all creation shares the wisdom of God, as the Proverb says:
“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the
head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she
speaks.”
Yes we are fallen and that is the problem but it is not really a problem at all.
Let me share as briefly as I can what I have discovered.
A fruit finds itself high up in the branches of its parent tree. It enjoys a direct
connection to its parent, it is fed, it grows, it is protected and it enjoys the light
of the Sun.
One day the fruit falls. It falls way down to the earth. It is disconnected from its
parent, deep in the shadows of the forest away from the light of the Sun,
seemingly abandoned.
The fruit begins to decay. It finds itself surrounded by other decaying fruits.
Some of the fallen fruits are eaten up by the beasts of the forest. For the fruits
this is suffering, even hell like.
Eventually the fruit decays completely. It now realises that it was not a fruit at all
but is actually a seed. The seed sinks into the earth, into darkness. The seed has
no idea what is happening to it. This experience appears punishing, even cruel,
to the seed.
After a long time in darkness the seed breaks open. It still does not understand
what is happening but it reaches upwards towards the surface and towards the
light.
Eventually with perseverance the seed breaks through into the light and begins
to grow upward. The seed now sees that it is not a seed at all but a small plant.
The small plant continues to grow until it becomes a sapling, a baby tree.
As it grows and gains height it is able to look down to the forest floor.
There it sees freshly fallen fruits, decaying fruits, and tiny plants emerging from
the darkness. It begins to see that the decaying fruits are actually enriching the
soil, enabling the growth of the forest and all in it.
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The sapling sees that even the poop of the beasts who eat some of the fallen
fruits enrich the soil and that, for some seeds, passage through the gut of a beast
is necessary for that type of seed to germinate and grow.
The sapling, through its roots, connects again to it parent.
Through its branches and leaves it connects again with the light of the sun.
The sapling begins to see the perfection of all things.
The fruit was never a really fruit, never really a seed, never really a sapling, it is
not even really a tree. It is a child of the forest. Throughout its development,
no matter how it may have seemed or appeared to the fruit or seed, it was
always a part of the forest, never disconnected. It lived, moved and had its very
being in the forest. All things were always working together for the good and
growth of the children of the forest.
Yes the fruit enjoyed a place in paradise while it hung in its parents branches.
But if it was ever to become all it could be, it had to fall to the earth.
The fall was the greatest blessing ever bestowed on the fruit
