Adam, where are you?
The heart of God seeks the man who has turned away from him in the seduction of the powers of darkness.
God is always searching for us, as Jesus later shows us in the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:11-32).
Man wanders around in this world! He does not know where he comes from and where he is going, he no longer knows God properly. With every further aberration the memory of the intimate contact with God, of his home and paradise fades.
The demons do the rest to distort the image of God. No longer shall a benevolent Father dwell in the heart of man. No, the image perverts often enough into an tyrannical ruler who is indifferent or even hostile to man – a tyrant who does not grant man knowledge and other desirable goods and who forbids everything that could please man.
One has first to learn to spell again: I come from God my Father and return to him.
It is not creation that is God, but the Creator. One does not sacrifice to idols, but gives one’s heart to God. Our true home is not the earth, but heaven. Not the earthly goods are our wealth, but the eternal goods. We are not the murderers of our brothers, but their guardians…
Adam, where are you? (Gen 3,9)
How can God reach man in his darkness?
It will be a long way to Bethlehem!
It must have been bad on earth – so bad that the Father had to let a purification come over the earth and found only Noah, who walked before him as the righteous (cf. Gen 6-9). One among many – only one! But this one he called and saved him.
Was it a new beginning for his creatures?
Yes and no.
The original sin was still not erased. It went with them on the ark! Man was not yet redeemed!
As when the earth was filled with human life again, humans wanted to rise so high that God stopped their striving and confused their language (Gen 11).
It was still a long way to Bethlehem.
And it is only thanks to the patience and forbearance of God that we humans have not destroyed ourselves long ago and the hope remains!
God carried Bethlehem in his heart.
But there was still a long way to go for us humans!
Harpa Dei accompanies the daily scriptural interpretation or spiritual teaching of Br. Elija, their spiritual father. These meditations can be heard on the following website www.en.elijamission.net