The name Eve denotes the collectivity that is common to the behavior of living things."
Her original design, taken out from Adam (earth) in the form of a rib, which is actually the Hebrew word, "side", is this idea that Adam and Eve, "Earth" and "Life" became a face to face symbiotic life force truly "made for each other" in the original sense. Fast forwarding to today we are actually faced with the choice all over again. Earth and Life, do we hear the choice to create as earth and as life. Flesh and breath.
There is a Sara Groves song called Generations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK_WmVFAIP8) which starts with the these lyrics.
"I can taste the fruit of Eve.
I'm aware of sickness, death and disease
The results of her choices are vast,
Eve was the first but she wasn't the last."
The song goes on to talk about generations to come and how our choices today will have an impact on it all.
Understanding more about Eve seems to be the gateway to what it means to choose life. As I mentioned at the beginning, that aspect of Eve's name which means "to lay out, prostrate oneself in order to live collectively," is what life is all about and maybe that is what Jesus is referring to in John 15 v 13 when he says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for a friend."
True life is always about future in a sacred way. It is believing that our choices are the greatest super powers we own, and that to choose life is to lay it down without our "desires" getting in the way. Our need for control, getting in the way, distraction from face-to-face relationship with God and with each other, getting in the way.
Jesus says: "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life", and we must be brave, we must say yes to believing that our life matters and the life force we bring to the world matters. Eve is the best example we have for all the above. If you read all the other stories of women throughout the text the question always comes back to Eve/Life and what it means to believe God's voice over the noise, of remembering we are designed to live in the garden of Eden, a place of guarding and working in community for the sake of the generations to come.
I am really glad I chose Eve; I resonate with her story deeply and want to remember what her life meant and what it means to beliEVE today.
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