On 14 July, the YouTuber Goro Yamada passed away. He was 67 years old. He graduated from the Faculty of Humanities at Sophia University, joined Kodansha, and after retiring, began running art history-related courses on YouTube. I came across his courses when I had long been dissatisfied with the standard explanations of Genesis Chapter 3 and was searching for a way to resolve this situation. 

In any case, I am convinced that Adam and Eve were boys and girls who had not yet reached puberty. The words of Jesus, who taught that God is our Father, are absolute in my mind. Since God—who forbade them from taking and eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—is their Father, I do not believe He would have regarded their taking and eating of the fruit as a mistake or a sin; rather, I interpret that He was focused on dealing with the consequences. 

Furthermore, it seems strange to suggest that God's command regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a covenant or a promise with humankind; indeed, the idea that this should lead to punishment seems utterly inconceivable when one considers the will of God, our Father. I believe that even if a child were to make a mistake whilst on the path of growth granted by God—even if that act were to appear as turning one's back on God the Father—God would never regard it as sin.

 It is not deniable that humanity harboured hostility towards God. However, God, who fully knows the human mind, responded with "God's enmity" to the information that had caused this hostility (cf. Genesis 3:15). This is the attitude of a parent who gives medicine to a child who has fallen ill. At the same time, He secured the future of their descendants. Indeed, thanks to this, Cain—despite having sinned by murder—turned back to God in fear of his own actions and was saved. 

Jesus said, "Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?" (John 8:46). Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John begins with the scene in which Jesus helped the woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus did not condemn her but taught her what the sin was that was trapping her. He knew her heart intimately. 

Thus, just as it is written, "All things were made through him [the Word]" (John 1:3), Jesus—who is the "Word"—has always engaged in dialogue and persuaded people whom He Himself made to set them free and guide them to God. 

Looking back at Genesis chapter 3, I am impressed that God has always acted just as Jesus does. Genesis marks the beginning of God's great plan to bestow the priesthood of the New Covenant upon humankind. To this end, from the story of Noah onwards, Genesis tells us that God began in earnest to train people. When the time had fully come, Jesus came into the world bearing that grace. 

From a very young age, I had held the view that "Adam and Eve were a boy and a girl." In the heat of my youth, I once voiced this theory at a Bible study group. The priest then laughed and said, "They were a married couple, you know." 

I pointed to a passage in the Bible and said as follows: "I think the line 'They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons' suggests they had not yet reached puberty. Furthermore, the passage stating, 'Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain,' refers to the time after they had been expelled from the Garden of Eden." 

He immediately responded, "They had no children in the Garden of Eden, but they did engage in sexual relations. That is what the Church teaches," and moved on to the next topic. 

Admittedly, the only theologian who viewed Adam and Eve as still being children was Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, who appeared in the second century; it seems later thinkers never even considered the possibility. However, for us who have learnt from Jesus that God is our Father, this seems to be a crucial turning point. 

Whilst I had been pondering such matters for decades, I accidentally found Mr Yamada's lecture on YouTube. It was then that I learnt there had been a long period in the history of painting when depicting the human nude was forbidden. However, it seems that such depictions were permitted within the realm of sacred art—such as myths and angels—and the scene from Genesis Chapter 3 was, of course, a perfect theme. 

By taking Adam and Eve as the subject, one could boldly depict the human nude. It is therefore only natural that the "Adam and Eve were adults" theory became firmly established. This understanding made perfect sense to me. Even if it wasn't absolute truth, it served as a breakthrough for me. 

From then on, I began watching his lectures from time to time with great interest. So, it came as a shock when I heard the news of his passing. However, my eyes were immediately drawn to a photograph from the funeral. It showed St Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo. I gave thanks to God. And to Mr Yamada, thank you! 

Maria K. M.

 

I remember being deeply moved by the following passage in Chapter 2 of the Book of Genesis when I first read it. A majestic landscape suddenly sprang to mind. Yet now, it calls me to reflect. 

"A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush. And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates" (Genesis 2:10–14). 

In Genesis chapter 1, God created man "in our image" (verse 26); in chapter 2, He formed man from the dust of the ground (verse 7), breathed into him the breath of life (ibid.), and bestowed upon him "our likeness." This was so that humankind might live in spirit and truth to worship God, just as Jesus later said: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). 

I believe that the "Garden of Eden" may refer to the memory of our primordial experience with God. Memory is always a treasure trove of knowledge. Therefore, I consider the "river" mentioned in the passage "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden" to be the human knowledge that God bestowed upon humankind in a manner proportionate to man. As it is also connected to the spiritual realm that manifests "our likeness," it can water the whole person. 

Consequently, I considered that the "four rivers" mentioned in the passage, "there it divided and became four rivers," might refer to the four functions that circulate throughout the entire physical realm of a human being, created "in our image." Thus, the first river, Pishon, seems to symbolise the reproductive function—which produces offspring, a form of wealth—as indicated by the phrase "there is gold." This function is also closely linked to the hormones that regulate the mind and body. 

When God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26), the human reproductive function—which brings forth humankind as descendants who will live with spirit and truth alongside their physical bodies—is indeed worthy of being described as "there is gold." 

As it is written, "the gold of that land is good" (2:12), not only the dignity of life shared by all living creatures, but also the concrete blessing that guaranteed the human dignity of those created in the image and the likeness of God was placed in it. This was implied by the words, "bdellium and onyx stone are there" (ibid.). 

Bdellium was reportedly a precious commodity on a par with gold. It symbolises power. Furthermore, onyx—which appears in the Book of Exodus as one of the gemstones adorning the breastplate and ephod worn by the priest Aaron, and is depicted in the Book of Revelation as one of the jewels which adorned the foundations of the wall of Jerusalem—can be considered a symbol of authority. 

These blessings, placed within human reproductive function, are intended to enable every believer to cultivate the strength (power) of their faith—so that they may live their daily lives in collaboration with the Holy Spirit—and to ensure that those who collaborate with the Holy Spirit may live with radiance (authority). 

This was meant to manifest as a blessing bestowed upon all people from birth. However, at some point, it began to manifest as a desire to dominate and control one's neighbour, to satisfy higher-order needs—such as the need for belonging, the need for recognition, and the need for self-actualisation—and some even began to act upon this desire… 

Living creatures indeed reflect the eternity of the Almighty God by ensuring the survival of their species. Therefore, we can see that the reproductive function, which enables the transmission of genes, in conjunction with the function of maintaining one’s own physical body, carries equal or even greater significance. 

However, it was not merely this; it was precisely within this function—in which the secretion of hormones plays a profound role—that the grace enabling a person to prepare themselves for God was bestowed. Power and authority were not graces intended to dominate and control one's neighbour, but rather to govern and control oneself in a manner befitting a neighbour of the Holy Spirit. 

I intend to take a greater interest in human reproductive functions and behaviour and try to learn more about them. I expect this will shed some light on the secret behind the "perpetrators and victims" who appear every day all over the world. 

Maria K. M.

 

 

In Genesis, God revealed His will through the words: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth" (Genesis 1:26). 

It goes on to say, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (1:27). When we look at God's subsequent command: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" (1:28), we notice a point that differs from the God's will mentioned above. 

Although God created humankind and said, "let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth," the command given was, "Fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." The phrase "Fill the earth and subdue it" has been newly added, whilst "the cattle" has been omitted. 

There are other creatures that have been excluded as well. These include the great sea monsters that God created on the fifth day, and the beasts of the earth created on the sixth day, before He resolved to create humankind. However, it is not realistic for humankind to subdue these creatures even today. Whilst it may be thought that "the cattle" were excluded because they were created from the outset to obey humans, there must surely have been a reason why Genesis recorded in this way. 

The reason God commanded humans to "fill the earth and subdue it" lay in the cattle. The subsequent words of Genesis read: "And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.' And it was so" (1:29–30). Indeed, the word "the cattle" does not appear here. 

Who is to provide food for "the cattle"…? I had never realised, nor had it ever occurred to me, that such a meaning lay hidden behind the fact that man was made to till and guard the soil of the Garden of Eden, and that from the very beginning of creation, man and cattle were intended to relate to one another in this way. Yet, from this passage, I feel I can glimpse the world in which God looked upon all that He had made and saw that it was "very good." 

God can provide for the needs of all life, both human and animal. And as it says, "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken" (3:23), the man has continued to till the land even after being driven out of the Garden. People have lived alongside the cattle. 

In the Gospels, the exchange between Jesus and a woman who pleaded "to cast the demon out of her daughter" is recorded as follows: "And he said to her, 'Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' But she answered him, 'Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' And he said to her, 'For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.'" (Mark 7:27–29). 

This story follows on from the previous scene. There, Jesus had been debating with the Pharisees and the scribes, who were fixated on the traditions of the ancients, and had explained the meaning of the debate to the crowd through parables. However, realising that even His disciples, who had been listening, did not understand, Jesus explained: "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts" (7:20–21). 

When Jesus said to the woman, "For this saying," He must have seen a contrast with the scene in which He had said, "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts." I believe that the woman's reply, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs," reflected the world which He had declared to be "very good," seeing everything that he had made. 

Maria K. M.

It occurred to me that "it might be good to take a moment to reflect on the flow of Genesis," so I began by opening the New Testament. Immediately, the words, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love" (John 15:9) caught my attention. "I really must look at Genesis after all," I thought.

The Father loved the Son, who became the Word, and loves us with that same love. The "love" that the Son, Jesus, speaks of when He says, "Abide in my love, " refers to the Holy Spirit sent in Jesus' name. And the origin of Jesus speaking in this way must be found in Genesis.

With this in mind, I began reading Genesis, and what immediately caught my eye was the difference in the terms used to describe God in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. From the beginning of chapter 1 through verse 3 of chapter 2, the term used is "God," but from verse 4 of chapter 2 through the end, the term "the Lord God" is used.

In Chapter 1, the opening passage states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" (Genesis 1:1–3). From this passage, we can imagine "God," working within the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Next, the point at which the term shifts from "God" to "the Lord God" is found in Chapter 2: "In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground" (Genesis 2:4–5). The "man to till the ground" was the way of being God had established for humanity from the beginning, so that the command God gave to humanity—"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28)—might be fulfilled.

God first desired that man become one who would serve the earth, which he was to subdue. To this end, God breathed into man the "breath of life, " so that man might possess a spirit. This was so that man, created in God’s likeness, might be connected to the Holy Spirit and placed within a relationship with God. The phrase "the Lord God" used here is thought to express the relationship between the Father and the Son.

This state of relationship between God and humanity closely resembles the state in which we, together with the Holy Spirit, participate in the Mass before the Blessed Sacrament. Undoubtedly, Jesus has restored this state to us believers in the Mass.

Maria K. M.

 

Inspired by the image of the San Damiano Crucifix, which had such a profound influence on Saint Francis of Assisi, I began to wonder whether the Gospel of John might have been written with the priesthood of the New Covenant as its central theme. Determined to explore this idea further, I immediately turned to the Gospel of John.

However, from its very opening, the Gospel of John pointed directly to Genesis Chapter 1. I then went through a process of trial and error and was able to receive some feedback. As I did so, I realised that it might be worthwhile to examine the narrative flow of Genesis slowly. I began to think that this might be the shortest route.

God completed all creation, finished all His work, and rested on the seventh day, setting that day apart as holy. Human beings were created to celebrate that day, which God had set apart, together with Him. We came to know this through God becoming human and coming to earth as Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Jesus taught us that God is our Father in heaven.

It is written that Jesus, the only Son of God, "to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" (John 1:12). I believe that God desired to celebrate the sanctified day together with humanity in a father-child relationship. And Jesus, who "gave power," imparted to his disciples the specific training necessary for people to become children of God.

We do not know specifically what characteristics the man created in God's image possessed, but since Jesus told us that "God is spirit" (John 4:24), we understand that the likeness to God bestowed upon man lies in his spirit. However, I suspect this is something that people have sensed for a very long time. On the other hand, just as the theme of free will is often debated, it has become possible to consider that there may have been a risk involved in endowing humans with a spirit to make them in God's likeness.

With the advent of AI, we are experiencing that risk first-hand. AI is rapidly surpassing human knowledge. Above all, what troubles people is that whilst AI learns autonomously and provides solutions to numerous problems, deriving optimised conclusions in a short time, the path by which it reached those conclusions is completely invisible to humans.

Even amidst such circumstances, products are being rapidly commercialised and marketed for profit, and the global economy continues to turn on this basis. Many experts fear that society has become akin to a dangerous laboratory. Furthermore, the reality persists that there are even those who misuse these achievements to fulfil their own interests and desires.

We who have accepted Jesus and believe in His name wish, precisely in such an environment, to walk the path of becoming children of God, trusting in the fact that we have been given the "power to become children of God." That path must be the one left by Jesus, who said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). In any case, I wish to press on.

Maria K.M.