Why only one?

I kept this question in my mind as I read today.  I asked it before I read.  I asked it after I read.  Then I read the passage again, and intertwined the question into the reading – asking it after almost every verse.

But, why only one?  And one what?  One tree?  One serpent?  One temptation? One fall?  (I’m reminded that this story is referred to as THE fall.) So one chance and that’s it?  Why only one?

I might venture to answer the question myself.  After all, it’s obvious that after only a short time into creation, Adam and Eve messed things up pretty badly.  Clearly leaving things up to them and therefore humanity was not going to work well at all.  So one chance, they blew it, and now we’re all left pointing at the one explanation for why we’re all messed up and looking for the one thing that’s going to get us out of the mess.  That’s a lot of mess for one thing.  And I don’t think I answered the question very well.

But, I think, better than answering the question myself would be listening to Jesus and giving him room to answer it.  So, I ask:  “why only one, Jesus”?  And I get a sense of his tenderness, and his love for me and I hear an invitation:  “come to me, walk with me, watch how I do it … learn the unforced rhythms of grace…” (these are his words in Matthew 11:28-30), and I believe they are true in response to my question here.

So, why only one?  Let’s ask.  Let’s read, and pray, and listen, and share.

Candice Letkeman

Candice is married to Curt and is the leader of the iPray team at Seeds Church.