Walking into darkness

What had once been paradise
Was now a frightening, lonely place.
Where once they had walked with God,
Shared their lives in harmony,
Known his close and loving presence,
Was now a broken, gray place.
So they hid themselves,
Guilty in their sin.

They heard the sound of their creator
Walking through the garden.
What was once a welcome, joyful sound to them,
Was now ominous.
Fear beat in their hearts.
Sin had come into their lives
Planted by their disobedience.

God called to the man,
"Where are you?"
The man answered,
sharing his fear.
The knowledge of his nakedness
uncovered his sin and his guilt.
"Have you done what told you not to do?"

In his sin, he shifted blame to the person
created to be his companion.
Betrayal.
Of his God and his wife.

God's children learned the lesson
That sin had consequences.
Mistrust between creatures,
each of the same God,
but disobedience separated them
From each other
From their God.
They would learn the pain of struggle.
Sin would lead to death.
They were lost,
Sinking in the mire of pain and toil.
Lost, but never forgotten.
Dust to dust,
but still beloved children of God.

They were now hopeless.
Hidden in darkness.
Without light.

Inspired by Genesis 3:8-15,17-19
Image: Fish at Rainforest Cafe