The Original Sin: How God Made Adam In His Image And Adam Marred It, Bringing Death To All Men

Narrator

Come all you TREES, and stand in the Garden of Eden, while we relive events from Genesis chapters two and three.

Trees

(Children stand in a row, holding arms out like tree limbs.)

Tall Tree

“God made tall trees as you can see;
            No other plants are strong like we.”

Voice

Let’s make man in Our own image,
            He’ll be like us in many ways.
Male and female we will make them,
            To be companions all their days.

Narrator

God created the innocent pair and called them “Adam”, which meant “man”, and “Eve”, which meant woman.
He put them in the paradise of Eden to cultivate it and enjoy its beauty.
Then God gave them a very, very important command.

Voice

From all these trees, you’ll freely eat;
            Except just one, you must not try.
It lets you know both good and bad;
            Eat this, and you shall surely die.

Serpent

Indeed! (Lead Eve by the hand to one side. If your culture does not allow you to touch a woman, then beckon her to follow. Hiss as you speak.) Come, my beauty!

Eve

Oh, hello, Serpent! Well! One of the animals can talk! And you look so wise!

Serpent

Has God said you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?

Eve

From every tree we freely eat;
            Enjoying all beneath God’s sky,
But we can’t touch one over there,
            Or God will surely make us die.

Serpent

You cannot die! It’ll open your eyes!
            You’ll be like God! So have no fear!
He’d hide from you what’s good and bad,
            Go ahead and eat, enjoy, my dear!

(Pretend to hand Eve fruit, hissing.) Take it, yesss. Eat it, yesss. (Hand Eve another fruit to give to Adam. Stand to one side, watching and sneering, occasionally hissing.)

Narrator

Trees, are your arms tired? You may put your arms down. Now you’re skinny trees. Oh, oh! Mother Eve has the forbidden fruit in her hand! What will she do with it?

Eve

(Pretend to eat.) Mmmm! Adam! Guess what! (Go to Adam and point to the tree.)
Ah, yes! That tree’s so good to eat
            And such delight to human eyes!
It’s also quite desirable
            To make all human beings wise.
Here, husband, dear. Just a little bite. Serpent says it’s okay. (Pretend to give fruit to Adam.)

Adam

(Open your mouth wide, freeze a moment, then move your eyes from side to side. Pretend to eat, and then look down to see that you are wearing no clothes.)

Oh, no! We’re bare! We’re quite unclothed!
            I knew it not, till Serpent came.
Let fig leaves cover us as aprons
            And hide our hopeless, painful shame.

Eve

I hear the sound of our Lord God;
            He’s treading Eden’s lovely garden.
Oh, quick! Let’s hide! We disobeyed!
            I fear our shame he’ll never pardon.

(Pull Adam to one side.)

Voice

(From the other side, speak slowly and loudly) Adam! Adam!

Adam

Oh, oh! Too late!

Voice

Adam! Where are you?

Adam

Ah… Um… I heard You, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.

Voice

Naked? Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?

Adam

(Point at Eve) The woman whom You gave me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.

Voice

Eve, what is this you have done?

Eve

(Point at Satan.) The serpent deceived me and I ate what You forbade.

Voice

(Point at Satan.)

All men now know what’s good and bad.
            We made them pure; sin made them fall.
You serpent fiend, told one great lie,
            So on your belly you shall crawl.

Serpent

(Scream in pain and fall.) My legs are gone! I have no feet!

Voice

(Point at Satan again.)

The lady and you’ll share enmity
            For what you’ve done, her seed you’ll dread
He’ll judge you for eternity;
            You’ll crush His heel; he’ll crush your head.

Voice

(Point at Eve.)

Now, Eve, you made man disobey;
            My image tarnished, lost its worth.
Your husband now rules over you.
            You’ll feel great pain in childbirth.

Eve

(Cover your face with your hands and weep.)

Voice

Now, Adam, since you disobeyed,
            from dust you came, to dust you’ll go.
With sweat you’ll toil to earn your food,
            Sharp thorns and weeds from earth will grow.

Adam

(Cover your face with your hands and moan loudly.)

Narrator

The Lord made garments of animal skins for Adam and his wife, drove them out of Eden’s paradise, and declared…

Voice

Since man’s like us because he knows
            Both good and bad, he and his wife
Let cherubim with flaming sword
            Bar access to the tree of life.