People Are Dumber Around Trees

Since the first two human beings, people have acted stupidly around trees.

Adam and Eve listened to the serpent around a tree and ate the forbidden fruit. Does anyone find that story the slightest bit interestingly disturbing? I mean, there was a talking animal and no one seems to acknowledge that that was weird. Does that mean that there were other animals that talked? If I'm looking at a piece of fruit and an animal comes and talks to me about it, I'm going to be a little freaked out. Probably not going to eat what they are offering...just saying.

Being stupid around trees must be in our DNA.

When a human sees a branch low enough to use as leverage, we will climb the tree. Even though Isaac Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell out of a tree, we still decide to climb up. People, we are at a genetic disadvantage with this one. Yes, we may be at the top of the food chain, but partly what allows me to type this blog, inhibits me to climb trees effectively (stupid short phalanges).

I am 28 years old and still to this day, I salivate when I see a low hanging branch and wonder if I can climb the tree. Guess what, I've even fallen from trees before. It hurts both the body and the ego. I've witnessed many people break bones because of a mixture of a tree and gravity.

We do stupid things around trees.

We have had many accomplishments around trees as well though. Adam and Eve had the choice between two trees-one of knowledge and the other of life. They chose the wrong tree. Trees in and of themselves aren't evil, we just have to choose how we behave around them.

I saw this tree on a hiking trip in Mammoth Cave National Park with my dog. Stupidity struck around a tree again. Something that is punishable by heavy fines and/or imprisonment. It's illegal to carve words into a tree in a National Park. Someone thought it would be a good idea to carve ACDC into a tree. Really? I realize that if they thought it was a good idea, they probably have a tattoo of the same symbol on their arm, but come on.

We do stupid things around trees. I can't help but believe that Adam and Eve looked back on their departure from the garden and they couldn't believe that they listened to a talking animal. Temporarily they reasoned that it was a good idea to eat from the tree. Permanently they had to live with that taste in their mouths.

How many of us do stupid things in life on a whim, only to discover in the aftermath that it was a mistake?

Listening to something as crazy as a talking animal over the voice of God? We are willing to sin and push aside Christ. And for what? For pleasure? Because of pressure? Because of stress? Because of guilt? Because we are selfish? We don't stop to see if the result and consequence of our sin is worth the action of rebellion against God.



However, if humans can be at their stupidest around trees, God is at his best around them. For it was through a tree that Adam and Eve's relationship with God was forever changed. And it's by a tree that our relationship with God is forever changed. Jesus Christ died on a tree, so that all that would believe in him would be saved. It's the "foolishness of the cross".

Before we do something stupid that we will regret, let's step back and see if it's worth it. Chances are you'll find that listening to a talking animal isn't worth disappointing God. You'll find out that carving ACDC into a tree is a pretty stupid reason to go to prison. Looking at porn isn't worth the lust it causes in your heart. Cheating isn't worth looking intelligent. Lying isn't worth being unable to be trusted. You'll find that the stupidity of the sin isn't worth the consequence.

Question:
Have you ever done anything stupid around a tree? Please share.