*curious sin

I always loved it when the kids in the Gang would peek through the knot hole in the old plank fence. They just had to know what was on the other side. Actually, I’m not sure it was the hole that got their attention as much as it was the overly loud sign. “DON’T LOOK HERE!!!” it said. Those Little Rascals, they were always good for a few chuckles and a subtle life lesson.

I’da done the same thing. If the sign says not to look that’s as good as an invitation to me. I may wait a bit for the crowd to pass, but I’ll linger, loiter, check text messages or make busy somehow until the coast is clear. Then I’ll wince at the big red “DO NOT…” warning and put my eye to the hole. The risk is usually not worth the payoff, and you’re almost always guaranteed to be disappointed. But fortunately this curious cat has lived – although sometimes with regret.

The carnival barker knows how it works. So does a good marketer. I saw a web link the other day that said “Do not click.” So I clicked. Somebody somewhere knows me and my kind too well. I ended up being intrigued about something I’d never have taken the time to find on purpose. I didn’t buy anything, but now I know there’s such a thing as a toilet water converter kit.

Back to the carnie barker, these guys are good. You don’t see a three headed human-alligator-llama-spider every day, and they know it. They also know we’ll trade our popcorn money for the chance to stare at something that’s one of a kind, even though its face looks remarkably like the human-monkey-whale-goat we saw last year. I think most of those spectacles are doctored up myself, but I don’t go to argue. It was curiosity that got me in there, not prudence. We’re not proud enough to brag about it of course. The whole transaction goes down like a back-alley drug deal. When we’re sure no one will notice we slip him the cash then dash inside to witness one of nature’s crazy mistakes.

So, knowing our nature, what would make God think that the earth’s whole population of two wouldn’t be tempted to climb the only tree in the world with a “Do not climb!” sign on it? Seems to me He was just inviting rebellion. Why, it was akin to entrapment. Surely God knew how wishy-washy His new peeps were.

Maybe if He’d just told them there was a killer tree out there somewhere but didn’t say which, Adam and Eve might never have found it. The odds would’ve been better that way. But God pointed it out. He put a poison label on it and then left them to fight their curiosity and temptations. A whole forest full of trees and we want the one we can’t have.

But maybe the tree wasn’t the problem - or the man or the woman for that matter. It certainly wasn’t God. Maybe it was the snake. He knew where to hang out. He’s smart that way. If you have a weakness, that’s where he lingers. Self control issues? Count on him egging you on. If you’re struggling with something that affects your relationship with God, it’s a pretty safe bet the serpent is involved.

It wasn’t the thought of eating that did the first couple in. Surely curiosity is not a sin. I don’t see it listed anywhere in the Bible. Maybe that’s why God didn’t build a fence around the world’s most dangerous tree. Maybe He doesn’t want the church to either.

To be continued…

*I enjoy sharing a few of my thoughts as a contributing writer at sgmradio.com. As older posts are removed from that site I'll be reposting them here. This writing was seen far and wide over there during the month of September.