12:34

1. You are a son of God (your identity)
2. God knows what is best for you.

I used to wonder why the tree was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That didn't sound so bad, what's wrong with knowing more? Does God not want us to know these "bad" things? I thought without the knowledge of good and evil, it would make us oblivious children. People who don't truly know real life. I wouldn't describe these people as free.

But think about what Adam and Eve had. Imagine a life where you've never experienced guilt or shame, and where it's impossible to have those feelings. I think we get a tiny glimpse of it watching little innocence children fumble around. They don't have the "knowledge of good and evil," so maybe that does make them oblivious children.

But they are more free than they'll ever be for the rest of their lives. No shame in social hierarchy, appearances, financial needs, clothes...nothing.

Adam and Eve had no shame because their identity wasn't set in their actions or accomplishments, but simply as sons and daughters of God. Truly free.

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Jeff's post about intellect being a factor in being shy makes me wonder. I recently asked a friend, "Why do you think almost everyone in our fellowship feels like a loner?" (Dramatic overstatement, I'm sure, but basically there seems to be no cliques in our fellowship. Which may seem to be a good thing, but at the same time--no thunder buddies.)

Is it because being Northwestern students, we're too smart for our own good? We calculate the risk to be truly share who we are--we calculate this risk to be too high. So instead we mask ourselves as someone who is socially acceptable.