Eve Daring Greatly

In life, we fall. I like what Brene Brown says about falling:  – She is a social worker researcher, and professor at Texas University.

You may not have signed up for a hero’s journey, but the second you fell down, got your butt kicked, suffered a disappointment, screwed up, or felt your heart break, it started. It doesn’t matter whether we are ready for an emotional adventure— hurt happens. And it happens to every single one of us. Without exception. The only decision we get to make is what role we’ll play in our own lives: Do we want to write the story or do we want to hand that power over to someone else? Choosing to write our own story means getting uncomfortable; it’s choosing courage over comfort. (Brown, Brené  Rising Strong (Kindle Locations 802-806).

While I was listening to Brene Brown’s book, Rising Strong, I was also formulating some thoughts about Eve (for a talk I was preparing.) All of a sudden I saw a connection between Brene’s theories on vulnerability, daring greatly, falling, and living a whole-hearted life. Not only do these theories apply to us today, but it is the model for Adam and Eve and the original “Fall.” I kept hearing Brene say “you have to lean into discomfort.” And I kept thinking, “Eve leaned into discomfort by eating that damn fruit.” Eve was brave. She took the step for further light and knowledge. She really stepped into the arena.

“If you are brave enough, often enough, you will fall.” (Brene Brown)

Lets look at Eve. She stepped into this tough mortal life by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. She actually chose to fall from her glory of the garden. And for good reason.

The Fall (as in Adam and Eve) is the first step in what makes us whole. I know that sounds crazy. We may not remember making the choice to fall, but obviously we did or we wouldn’t be here. Just choosing to be born into a mortal life means choosing to fall. We all chose to fall. Adam followed Eve.

What do we Fall from? What did Eve “Fall” from?

When you fall, according to the laws of this earth, gravity takes over — you fall down. My husband teaches our grandkids this concept by letting something roll downhill. We fall from a higher place to a lower place.

I believe in a life before this life — a higher life. And I believe there are many noble and great ones who had a higher glory before falling to this earth. Adam and Eve, Jesus Christ, and others I believe had a higher glory already. Anyone who chose to fall from a higher glory of a previous life to this one believed that Jesus Christ would fulfill his calling as savior so that we could return to our previous life. Like Eve and Adam, we chose to fall from that glory to progress through experience. And to help others.

I am reminded of the ancient Christian hymn called The Pearl, a story which is symbolic for each of us as we descend from above to become mortal. The text of The Pearl is in Syriac and is found in the Acts of Thomas Judas, the Apostle; it is dated by W. Crum to the 1st century A.D. And it was first translated into English by W. Wright in 1871. (Hugh Nibley, appendix III The Pearl)

“In my first primeval childhood I was nurtured in the royal house of my father with loving care in the midst of abundance and glory. My parents sent me forth from my home in the East, the source of light, supplied with all necessities.”

So he goes down [from his heavenly home] to get the pearl [on earth] and bring it back [to heaven] with him. “The pearl is the integrity which he preserves during the trials and tests of this life so he can continue hereafter to be a member of the royal family and assume his throne and crown above.”

They removed from me the garment of light, which they had made for me in love. And my purple robe made exactly to fit me. And they made a Covenant with me, and wrote in my heart, lest I go astray.

 

[He is instructed to go down into Egypt (this earth) and bring back a pearl.] which is in the Sea guarded (surrounded) by a (fire or poison) snorting Serpent dragon. Returning with the Pearl, he may resume his garment of light and the outer (priestly) mantle, and become the heir to our Kingdom, along with our Second One. (Hugh Nibley, Ibid.)

Remember, Eve awakens Adam — after the Gods cause a deep sleep to come over Adam, he awakens to Eve standing there. I always like to joke around with my husband and tell him that Adam was quite content to just hang out in the garden – not until Eve arrived did the story begin. Eve was courageous.

I love the story of Eve.

“In all that follows she takes the initiative, pursuing the search for ever greater light and knowledge while Adam cautiously holds back. Who was the wiser for that? The first daring step had to be taken, and if in her enthusiasm she let herself be tricked by the persuasive talk of a kindly”brother” it was no fault of hers.

 

Still it was an act of disobedience for which someone had to pay, and she accepted the responsibility. And had she been so foolish? It is she who perceives and points out to Adam that they have done the right thing after all.

 

Next it is the woman who sees through Satan’s disguise of clever hypocrisy, identifies him, and exposes him for what he is. She discovers the principle of opposites by which the world is governed and views it with high spirited optimism: it is not wrong that there is opposition in everything, it is a constructive principle making it possible for people to be intelligently happy. It is better to know the score than not to know it.

 

Finally, it is the “seed of the woman” that repels the serpent and embraces the gospel: she it is who first accepts the gospel of repentance.” (Hugh Nibley, Patriarchy and Matriarchy)

Eve chose to fall. Each of us have chosen to fall. We are all here. We need to remember that we had a previous life of glory. We are here for a reason. And it’s not as the world describes. You have signed up for trials and descents. All for the purpose of helping others and progressing. You can’t really know another man or woman’s calling – and from an earthly perspective we may think she has an unfortunate life, or a life where she made a lot of dumb choices. Only God knows and can judge.

“He or she who has the greatest capacity for discomfort rises the fastest.”(Brene Brown)