“Signs”Despite the "Do Not Touch" signs, a certain museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching--and soiling—a collection of priceless furniture. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the “Do Not Touch” signs with ones that read: "Danger! Wash Hands After Touching!" Sometimes I think it would be helpful to have instructional signs like “Do Not Touch” posted on the things which we know we should stay away from in our everyday lives. The sign needn’t be a looming billboard; just a small, subtle visual reminder to think before we act. But then I realize that any sign, big or small, probably wouldn’t instruct or deter anyone, just as we saw in our opening illustration. We all like to touch, don’t we? We all like to experiment; to see for ourselves. Nowadays it’s considered downright un-American to heed any third-party cautionary advice; one needs to “try it on for size” before making up one’s own mind. That “Do Not Touch” sign certainly doesn’t apply to me—it’s there for that other guy—the one who can’t be trusted. So maybe a better solution would be to do what the museum in our story did—post the consequences along with the instruction or warning? Maybe this kind of sign would keep us all safe (and the priceless furniture collections around the world, too)? But then, again, I realize that, realistically, this probably wouldn’t help much either. In an entire world full of purity and safety and goodness, we will seek out and touch the thing we know we shouldn’t; the dangerous thing; the forbidden thing. God’s first created man was surrounded by perfection, by God’s glory. He literally lived in a paradise on Earth, and was given only one instruction; and this instruction was given along with the consequence for disobeying it. “Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” [Genesis 2:8,9] “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” [Genesis 2:15-17] And I think we all know where the story went from there; only one man on the entire planet, and only one real command that we read about. God put the world’s biggest “Do Not Touch” sign on those trees and what happened? Adam touched one; and so did his “helper” Eve. Now, before you click your tongue in judgment, or shake your head in disbelief, let’s remember our museum story; and remember that we, all humankind, make these same foolish choices today, day in and day out. We know what God wants. We know what His “signs” say. We know what not to touch, just as Adam did. And also, just as Adam did, we touch it anyway. Luckily for us, if we are repentant, we don’t necessarily have to suffer the eternal consequences for our disobedience; but remember, when we ignore the warning signs, God’s commandments, we invite unhappiness and misery and spiritual jeopardy into our lives. So, the next time you feel like reaching out and doing a little “touching”, remember Adam and Eve; and how ignoring a “Do Not Touch” sign changed the entire world. — Paul Seely, January 15, 2012 |