Bermuda's Adams and Eves must take responsibility

The book of Genesis presents a classic account of the challenge for mankind: how to maintain a relationship with God in a place called paradise.

That is, in thinking about Genesis and even here in the island of Bermuda, you are called to question where you are, how you got there, and what to do from there.

If you are not careful, you will make the easy or convenient choice of blaming the other person for your current condition.

That is the very thing that Adam did. He stated correctly, that the woman God gave him had given him the fruit that was attached to the forbidden tree.

Genesis 3: 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

While Adam was 100 per cent correct, his response was void of his own ultimate responsibility for the fall. God had given Adam knowledge above all creation, including Eve. Adam failed to do what many fail to do, even today. 

Adam failed to:

1.  Ask the questions.

Adam knew each and every beast of the field. He knew their nature and their ability. Adam had named each beast as God brought it before him. In other words, Adam knew what a serpent was, how it moved, and its very nature.

If Adam had asked Eve where she had gotten the fruit, he would have known that she had taken of the forbidden tree. If Adam had known that Eve spoke to the serpent, Adam would have known that the serpent should not have had the ability to speak. If Adam had asked the question, he would have known that the serpent had questioned his Creator, which would bring about disastrous results.

Anytime mankind doubts the very One that created them in the first place it puts all of creation at the risk of falling.

The times we live in right now require our men to ask the questions. Our young Eves and our young Adams are yet taking of the forbidden fruit and therefore must be questioned. Where did that jewellery come from? Where did that money come from?

Where did you get the money to take that trip when you do not have a job?

If only fathers (Adams) would ask the questions, then perhaps we would be able to prevent fall after fall after fall of our young men in Bermuda.

Unfortunately, rather than choosing to ask the questions, many fathers are eating of the forbidden tree themselves and there- fore have lost their authority and ability to put this question to their sons and daughters.

Perhaps, too many mothers (Eves) are acquiring immediate benefits from the gain and consumption of the tree and its by-products to have the right to ask the questions.

2.  Take responsibility

Our Adams must step up and take responsibility. The blame game never results in a win for the accuser.

No, the blame game is a vicious cycle of going nowhere fast, which eventually causes a spiral effect, resulting in an out- of-control offspring who then reaches out to play the same blame-game.

What an example it would have been if the first Adam had stepped in and taken responsibility for his actions.

That would have placed in the archives of mankind the fact that our forefather, Adam, was a man who owned up to his responsibility and demonstrated how to cover his wife in the process.

How sad it is to look upon a Bermuda where there are far too many fathers who are not stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility, but have instead continued the initial legacy set by Adam in the book of Genesis.

I ask the questions: why do you have to keep blaming the other person?

When will you stop and simply admit your wrong and move forward to make the best decisions from now on? When will you stop giving birth to children and presenting them with a legacy of how to blame the other person?

No, Bermuda. In order to regain any semblance of paradise, it will take wise and honest choices by today’s Adams and Eves.

Respice finem.