“Adam, where art thou?”

“Adam, where art thou?” That was the voice of God, resounding in Adam’s conscience after the fall and tormenting him. As long as Adam obeyed the Lord, cultivating and guarding the Garden of Eden, he received strength from the fruits of the Tree of Life, and was in constant communion with God. In Adam’s heart there was complete peace and joy. But then Adam disobeyed the divine commandment, ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the strand of communion with God in his heart broke off. Sin stood like a wall between God and man.

From this time begins the history of man’s life on earth. Man lives under a stigma, and has to toil and sweat to earn his living. But despite all his hard work he is unable to acquire a joyous heart. His life is spent in sin, which only continues to grow and grow until it finally spreads over the entire earth.

Then, in the words of a Russian scientist, the Lord makes His first cosmic correction. The deluge washes sin away, the earth is purified and new life begins. But Adam’s original sin still hasn’t been atoned, and now once more it continues to take possession of man, once more it covers the entire earth. But amid this darkness, amid this terrible anguish, there is one man who searches for spiritual joy, who remains faithful to God. This man is Abraham. He receives the law of life and the renewed promise, originally given by God to Adam in paradise, that a Saviour will come to earth.

Centuries pass, men wait desperately for the promised Saviour. Men try to free themselves of sin, but without the Tree of Life, without the promised Saviour, it is totally impossible. Once again mankind reaches an impasse. And then, finally, the promise is fulfilled. The second cosmic correction takes place. The Saviour of the world comes down to earth. He saves mankind from sin. He fulfills the commandment given to man on loving God and one’s neighbor. And, most importantly, through His Church, through the Holy Eucharist, He renews the Tree of Life which stood in paradise and by means of which Adam communed with God. He renews the peace and the joy that were lost by Adam.

“Adam, where art thou?” – so resounds this eternal question in our own conscience, and each one of us is asked this question by the Lord. Not in a geographical sense, of course, since the Lord knows exactly where each one of us is to be found, but in terms of our relationship to Him, our God and Creator.

In our times mankind has reached an impasse with even greater finality than before Christ’s coming to earth. Sin has now spread over the earth and has taken possession of man to a much greater degree than before the deluge. Right now we are standing at the edge of the third and final cosmic correction: the Lord’s Last Judgment. And at the same time now, more than ever before, we have all that we need for salvation, for returning to paradise. We have the Church, in which, like in Noah’s ark, we can save ourselves from the turbulent waters of the frightful life that surrounds us. In church we have God’s commandments, which guide us onto the right path of life. In church we have the saints, who show us a brilliant example of that blessed life in Christ which Adam had lost. And finally, in church, through the Holy Mysteries, we once more have the means to commune with God.

During these holy days the Church earnestly appeals to us not to disdain the riches with which the Lord has blessed us all. Right now, during the Christmas lent, as we again prepare to meet the Saviour of the world, Who comes down to earth for each one of us, we must not shun the opportunity to come to church and to commune with the Lord God Himself.

“Adam, where art thou?” Let us not leave this question unanswered. Let us say to the Lord: “Lord, I am here, I am at Thy manger, in Thy church, standing before Thy chalice. I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art the true Christ, Son of the Living God, Who has come to earth to save all sinners…” Amen.

(Adapted from the sermons of Archbishop Andrew of Novo-Diveevo)