A Great Mystery

I t is a great mystery.

Adam is created from the ground, as are the animals. Unlike the animals, Adam becomes a living soul only when the Lord breathes into his nostrils. Adam is a product of ground and divine breath; he is a child of earth and heaven.

Adam's companion does not come from the creatures who share his earthly origin. Eve is born from Adam's side. She doesn't come from earth but from the heaven-earth union that is Adam.

So too the new Eve: She is built not from earth but from the wounded side of the heavenly Word made flesh.

This is a great mystery.

The first Eve is a flame (Heb. ‘ishshah , from ‘esh , “fire”) taken from Adam's side, and her presence transforms Adam from earth (Heb. adam , “man,” Genesis 2:7; from adamah , “ground”) into flame (Heb. ‘ish , “man,” Genesis 2:23); from ‘esh , “fire”). Eve sets Adam on fire, with the love that is stronger than death, the love that is jealous as Sheol, the love that is the flame of Yah.

Eve is fire taken from the heaven-earth Adam that makes Adam burst into glorious flame. Though derived from the man, the woman enables the man to reach his end. Derived from heaven-earth Adam, Eve makes first Adam radiant like the second Adam - who is born not of ground nor of a heaven-earth Adam, but solely from the flame of the virgin.

Humanity has a history because God created us male and female, sexes separated to reunite fruitfully . Humanity has a history because God brought woman-fire from the man-ground, a fire that in turn sparked a flame in the man.

Human history begins in the flame of eros , and human history has an erotic destiny. For the Last Adam too, it is not good to be alone. For the Last Adam too, the woman is the glory of the man, the glory that glorifies the man by making him glow. In the Spirit, new Eve is the fire taken from the heaven-earth Last Adam that glorifies the Son of Man. The last Adam too is set on fire by the flame of love for the Bride born from His side.

The Last Adam burns with the love stronger than death, as jealous as the grave. The church makes him burn with the flame of Yah. He burns in the Spirit for you .

It is a great mystery. But I speak of Christ and the church.

Lord, give us speech adequate to this mystery.