… Pain is not normal. Suffering is not part of God’s design. Death and grief were not part of the original plan for creation. We often think of exile and death as a punishment for our sin in the garden, but what if even these were an act of God’s grace… the best gift God could offer to restore us to a right relationship with our Creator?

God knew the consequences of sin and rebellion. God knew that we would misuse our knowledge of good and evil leaving nothing but pain and destruction in our path throughout all human history. God also knew we deserved the consequences we brought on ourselves.

But God still wanted better for us. Had Adam and Eve eaten from the Tree of Life after the fall, they would continue living forever in a broken and evil world. There would never be any freedom from pain and suffering. Wars would truly never cease.

And so, God sent us away. God allowed us to die. Not as a vengeful punishment, but as a means to experience new life. Because the God who allows us to die is the same God who raises the dead to life…