004. Eve Painfully Tells Cain and Abel How it Was, Before

Adapted from a dramatic reading by Kathy Barram, based on Gen. 1 – 4, about 5 minutes.

Participants (No need to memorize lines; the aim is to relive sacred events, not to perform)
Eve
Abel
Cain
Prompter Â Shout a brief line, and Echoes repeat it.
EchoesÂ Â Â Â Â Children and adults who want to take part. Echoes need no script.

Abel	Mother Eve, please tell Cain and me how it was in the very beginning.
Eve	My sons. Cain and Abel, every day beautiful!
Prompter & Echoes	Heaven on earth!
Eve	From sunrise to sunset, from the morning dove’s first call and the evening song of the nightingale, life was full, always happiness. Our joy was fierce; our freedom was a continual dawn! We did not choose all this, as we did not choose our home, but our life was simply perfect.
Cain	So what happened, mom?
Eve	Oh, Cain, I cannot bear to put it into words; I will let your father Adam tell you about that. Adam and I did not choose each other, but we were a perfect fit. But thenâ€¦
Abel	Mom, I see by your tears how you suffer to talk about it.
Eve	Yes, Abel, but because I love you, I will bear up and tell you about what once was. Please listen, and do not repeat my mistake.
Cain	Get to the point, Mom.
Eve	I am trying, Cain. I hope you will gain a healthy fear. It is no fault to fear. You will be the wiser for it!
Prompter & Echoes	Wise fear brings us to God!
Abel	Our father Adam told us you were perfectly beautiful in your innocence.
Eve	Once, My life with your father was beautiful, Abel. What we had does not exist now. You will not ever find it on this earth. We did not choose it or seek it; we lived it. It was ours! The world was ours!
Cain	It sure is not like that now.
Eve	That is right, Cain. You live now as all men do a shadow darkens every heart. We all live in that shadow. It is cool, but does not comfort. It is static, but not eternal. It is darkness, confining darkness in our souls.
Prompter & Echoes	Darkness!
Abel	Yet in my heart, I wonder about the light beyond the shadow. There must be a light. How can there be a shadow without a light?
Eve	Yes, Abel. Your father and I are the only ones on earth who ever saw that light.
Abel	Please, mother, do not weep.
Eve	Your father and I knew that light we lived in it. It was warm and alive!
Cain	I cannot imagine any such light.
Eve	I will try again, Cain. The light was a magnificent SOMEONE.
Abel	Do you mean God?
Eve	Oh, yes, Abel! We knew him, my sons! By him and for him all things exist the sunrise and sunset, the dove, the nightingale, the freedom, the joy! We played with him, talked with him and sang with him. Our Life glistened!
Prompter & Echoes	God’s very presence!
Cain	Well, it sure is not like that now, mom. Why bother recalling it?
Eve	Please listen, Cain. Try to understand. Your father and I were paint on the Artist’s brush. We were the words on the Author’s pen, the very breath of His lips! Oh! We were His and he was ours!
Abel	That was wonderful, mom. Hey! Brother Cain, what is wrong? Where are you going?

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