The Great Permission

The serpent asked the woman, did God really tell you not to eat of any of the trees in the garden? And the woman correctly answers, no, no. We've been given permission to eat of all of these trees. The church fathers said, this symbolizes the great permission.God wants us alive. He wants us to enjoy fully the good things of this world. How wonderful that they're delightful to look at and to eat. So, this is science and art and literature and politics and friendship and conversation. Everything that makes life wonderful, God says, yes, yes.