Eden's Cross and the Annunciation: A Monastic Half-Century

1. The children of Eden—known collectively as the ground in the garden—could not see that they were naked in Eden because they were covered in a merciful garment of Light.

2. Though flesh, they had a pure and undefiled intention. Their hearts were chaste.

3. Though two persons, they were clothed in the same flesh. They both were perfect in their spirit in being One with the Creator.

4. In this place, they kept wrapped up in the Christ Who was “put on” them.

5. The person of Christ is there in Genesis in the unity of the couple.

6. The unity of the couple is in God’s energy of Light.

7. If the first miracle of Christ on earth is a marriage in Cana, then perhaps a primordial miracle of Christ in heaven is the marriage in Eden.

8. The cross of Christ in Eden is the sacrifice of one’s own will and desire for the sake of the Other, expressed throughout all of creation.

9. The tree of the forbidden is a picture not of disobedience and punishment as much as it is a tree of ascetic unexperienced self-pleasure.

10. The Fall is the fruition of wanting more when we have perfectly enough.

11. The tree of fruit is a tree of the cross when it is experienced as a sacrifice of self-will.

12. Divine knowledge is the necessity and goodness of pleasure not chosen.

13. Goodness is a will that remains spiritually, mentally, and behaviorally pure.

14. The heart that remains virginal has an abundant marriage to God and others.

15. Unity of self with God is maintained by purity of will.

16. The preaching of Christ crucified begins on the sixth day of creation.

17. If we can spend each seventh day resting in that state, then all of our days take us to the eighth day.

18. The two pure beings named Adam become separated into Adam and Eve when they bite of the forbidden fruit.

19. They are also separated when they succumb to the forbidden desire in their hearts to have a hidden and secret intention separated from each other and separated from God.

20. Their nakedness is revealed when they step out of the garment of Light which is the covering of Christ.

21. Their spiritual death is paradoxically the refusal of the cross of Christ.

22. In forgoing the sacrifice of the cross, they remain nailed by their own desires and pride.

23. Like the third thief on the cross who mocks the death of Christ, our spiritual parents said “no.”

24. This left no voice to proclaim: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

25. This is the antithesis of the Theotokos who said “yes” to joining Christ on the cross.

26. In remaining chaste in intention and virginal in behavior, she becomes one with the Creator.

27. The cross that she bears makes her the ground for the Divine garden to be re-planted.

28. Her umbilical cord becomes a vine of David for a tree of everlasting life.

29. A “yes” to the cross unifies us to the Creator.

30. A “yes” to the cross unifies us to each other in the Creator’s image.

31. A “yes” to the cross unifies us to all of creation.

32. It is said by one of the Saints of the Church, “If you do not love trees, you are not a Christian.” This is not a political or scientific statement; it is simply a theology that speaks to a Creator Who is completely and beautifully experienced in creation.

33. Every day we re-live that day in Eden.

34. Every day we re-live that day when Gabriel visits Mary.

35. Every day we are hanging and breathing next to Jesus on Golgatha.

36. We can say “yes” to inhibiting our will, desires, and pleasures.

37. We can embrace “Christ crucified” in order that we might be crucified with Him, and not live and die “being true to our self.”

38. The natural man who defines his identity by what he feels lives separated and alone.

39. Separated Adam and Eve cannot quit seeing that they are uncovered.

40. While lost in the garden they keep re-making for themselves, they cannot understand why they are unable to find God.

41. They cannot understand why they are unable to find each other.

42. They cannot understand why they are unable to find love.

43. It is impossible for all of us not to feel naked and ashamed when we step out of the clothing of Christ’s baptismal gown.

44. The darkness hisses as close as a whisper to our ears when we make a decision to step out of the garment of life.

45. We wonder in that moment if we are hiding from God.

46. We wonder if He even exists.

47. We feel alienated from others and blame them for our struggles and predicaments.

48. Saying “no” to the sacrifice of pleasure puts us at war with the Creator, with His creatures, and with His creation.

49. Saying “yes” to a crucified life means keeping certain fruits forbidden, maintaining a difficult chastity, and continuously examining one’s own skin to see if it is covered in the Light of Christ.

50. Only this person feels together in the womb of God which blooms on the earth as it does in the garden of Heaven.