I heard a beautiful spoken word presentation once during which the artist asked, in reference to this bible passage, “Why did God create that damn tree?” Or something to that effect. Since then I’ve heard it said that the tree represents choice, a necessary ingredient for true, authentic loving relationship. Without that tree, we would be will-less robots at best, or trapped victims at worst.
God cannot or will not force love upon anyone. One cannot be forced to love.
I do not believe anyone can be forced to learn either. At least, not to learn in such a way as to gain lasting knowledge or wisdom. One must choose to learn. I think that is why being a teacher is so difficult. Our classrooms are full of young men and women who haven’t chosen to be there.
I saw a Nooma video once that talked about what it meant to be a disciple of a rabbi, which means teacher. Young men who could memorize large portions of the Pentateuch would move into a sort of apprenticeship. Those who continued to excel eventually became rabbis themselves. Those who could not would learn a trade. The whole point was that learning was something that they aspired to. Those with no desire to learn did not get into the apprenticeships.
Should we strive to educate all of our citizenry? Absolutely! Do we value and lift up education such that at least a majority of students are eager to learn? Not hardly. And what is the result in our culture and society when so many despise the opportunities to learn we set before them? Brokenness. Selfishness. Mistrust. Lies lifted up as Truth. It seems we have made our choices and now we must live with the consequences just as the first biblical couple.
Please do not think that I believe that ‘if only people chose to be educated’ that all of our problems would be solved. It might make some parts of living on the planet marginally better. Rather, the only real way for our society to be saved is for us to choose to love.