Transcript

Adam & Eve · The Chosen People

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Speaker 1: This is an iHeart Podcast.
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Speaker 2: Guaranteed human. Previously on The Chosen People.
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Speaker 3: Let there be light.
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Speaker 2: It was like a song, an anthem. From his voice,
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Speaker 2: light broke through the noiseless void. At last, it was time.
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Speaker 2: One thing remained for the creator. It was time to
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Speaker 2: stamp creation with his image. bearers of his likeness to
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Speaker 2: steward the world. God, the Elohim, consulted with himself about
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Speaker 2: the nature of his next masterpiece.
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Speaker 3: Let us craft creatures in our image, imbued with our essence.
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Speaker 3: Let us make man as an image of God to
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Speaker 3: steward the fish of the sea, birds of the air,
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Speaker 3: and creatures of the earth.
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Speaker 2: The light of dawn bounced off the morning mist. The
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Speaker 2: rays kissed the earth, awakening the flowers and creatures below.
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Speaker 2: Leaves dripped morning dew, falling gently onto the soft dirt.
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Speaker 2: It was from the dirt that God would craft his masterpiece.
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Speaker 2: His voice rustled the leaves as he spoke. He spoke
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Speaker 2: in plurality. representing the essence of the heavenly hosts and
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Speaker 2: a divine identity yet to be fully understood.
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Speaker 3: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.
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Speaker 2: His words were an expression of his intention and a
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Speaker 2: command to the earth. It obeyed. The dirt began to stir,
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Speaker 2: and the animals scurried and watched from their burrows, waiting
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Speaker 2: to see what would happen. A figure began to take
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Speaker 2: shape from the earthy clay, like a potter's vessel slowly
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Speaker 2: forming on the wheel. The earth spun to the sound
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Speaker 2: of music. The creator's hands moved precisely, crafting each detail
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Speaker 2: with love and care. From the ground, the first man emerged,
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Speaker 2: a lifeless being of dust and stone. He stood there, lifeless,
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Speaker 2: an unoccupied body in need of a soul. The wind
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Speaker 2: whistled through the garden and danced around the lifeless figure.
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Speaker 2: God's life-giving power, the Ruach, blew into his nostrils. The
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Speaker 2: man's chest rose and then he exhaled his first breath.
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Speaker 2: He opened his eyes to see the radiant garden glowing
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Speaker 2: with color and life. He looked around and beheld the
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Speaker 2: trees and every creature looking down on him from above.
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Speaker 2: He turned, feeling the dirt underneath his toes. The sensation
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Speaker 2: of mud, leaves and moss electrified him. He drew another breath,
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Speaker 2: feeling the muscles in his chest expand, then retreat. He
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Speaker 2: smelled the air, crisp and fragrant from the mist and
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Speaker 2: blooming flowers. The man considered his own body, looking at
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Speaker 2: his hands, then scanning downward to his bare chest and
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Speaker 2: naked legs. His tongue rolled and slid over the roof
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Speaker 2: of his mouth. Then, mirroring the creator, he spoke. Who
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Speaker 2: am I?
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Speaker 3: You are Adam.
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Speaker 2: It was his name and his identity. He was the man,
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Speaker 2: the image-bearer of the Creator, stamped with something divine and
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Speaker 2: filled with the breath of life. Hearing his name made
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Speaker 2: his eyes wide. He was aware of himself and could
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Speaker 2: discern his identity as separate from the voice that spoke
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Speaker 2: to him and the animals observed from a distance.
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Speaker 3: Where am I? This is Eden. Go, explore, survey the
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Speaker 3: splendor of creation and see what I have given you.
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Speaker 3: This land will be yours to cultivate and fill as
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Speaker 3: my steward, as my image bearer.
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Speaker 2: Adam took a step forward. Feeling every sensation of existence simultaneously,
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Speaker 2: he felt the earth underneath him, the excitement of what
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Speaker 2: was before him, and the awe of what was above him.
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Speaker 2: He walked between the trees, exploring the boundaries of his
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Speaker 2: new home. It was a garden, set upon a high place,
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Speaker 2: teeming with vibrant life and vibrating with possibilities. Cascading falls
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Speaker 2: fell majestically, splitting the earth and flowing downward into great rivers.
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Speaker 2: Adam followed the water upward until something caught his eye.
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Speaker 2: He was drawn to a light emanating from the peak
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Speaker 2: of the falls. He grabbed onto the mossy stones next
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Speaker 2: to the falls and climbed up. The waterfall was powerful,
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Speaker 2: nearly blowing Adam off the rocks. But he persisted. hair
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Speaker 2: dripping with water and determination. He finally summited the falls
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Speaker 2: and looked at the source of light. At the top
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Speaker 2: of Eden was a tree towering above all the rest.
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Speaker 2: Its branches stretched beyond the clouds, and its roots spread
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Speaker 2: throughout the forest. It pulsed with power. The entire garden
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Speaker 2: seemed to hum to its heartbeat. Its fruit hung elegantly
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Speaker 2: from its branches, Light and sound circled it, then left
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Speaker 2: in the breeze to adorn the rest of the garden
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Speaker 2: in splendor. What is this?
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Speaker 3: This is the tree of life. Its fruit is a gift,
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Speaker 3: a gift to be cherished forever. It is the life
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Speaker 3: I offer you, a life of unity with me.
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Speaker 2: It's beautiful.
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Speaker 3: Look around you, Adams. Everything here is yours to enjoy.
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Speaker 3: You may eat of every fruit in this garden. Be
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Speaker 3: filled to your heart's content.
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Speaker 2: The tree of life pulsed with the sound of God's voice.
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Speaker 2: Adam surveyed the garden. He saw birds flying above the
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Speaker 2: treetops and heard the sounds of creatures crying from below.
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Speaker 2: Adam's eyes were aglow with possibilities. He saw the fruit
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Speaker 2: of the trees and the soil's potential to grow new things.
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Speaker 2: He plucked a berry, rolled it between his fingers, and
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Speaker 2: pressed it enough to squeeze the juice out. He examined it,
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Speaker 2: then held it to his mouth to taste. The sweetness
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Speaker 2: lit up his brain, and he could feel his body
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Speaker 2: receiving it with gladness. He scaled the slope leading to
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Speaker 2: another section of the garden. He pressed his hand against
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Speaker 2: the damp moss and held his nose to the blooming flowers.
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Speaker 2: Adam measured through the brush, then paused when he heard something.
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Speaker 2: A rustling in the bushes startled Adam. He stepped back,
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Speaker 2: poised to run. Then, from the tall ferns emerged a stag.
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Speaker 2: Its antlers stood proudly atop his head like a crown.
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Speaker 2: Adam laughed at the sight of him. Hello there.
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Speaker 1: Who are you?
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Speaker 2: The two circled each other curiously. The stag bowed its head,
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Speaker 2: stamped its hooves, and then pranced away into the forest.
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Speaker 2: Adam ran after it, feeling the muscles in his legs
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Speaker 2: extend and contract. He felt the resistance of the earth
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Speaker 2: below and the rising of his heartbeat. It was all
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Speaker 2: new and exciting. Adam leaped over a stream and dodged
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Speaker 2: some low-hanging branches. He slid through dirt and water, rounded
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Speaker 2: the corner of the path, and then stopped immediately when
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Speaker 2: he reached the shadow of another large tree. Its trunk
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Speaker 2: was thick and braided, like serpents coiling around each other.
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Speaker 2: The branches shot outward and down, making its fruit low
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Speaker 2: for picking. The fruit was a deep crimson and perfect
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Speaker 2: for one's palms. Adam was drawn to it, but terrified
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Speaker 2: by it at the same time. His body tensed with
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Speaker 2: every step as he inched closer to it. Every fruit
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Speaker 2: of every tree is good to eat, right? Adam reached
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Speaker 2: out his hand to touch the fruit, but before he could,
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Speaker 2: God interrupted. His voice rushed through the forest like the
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Speaker 2: evening wind. Adam recoiled and listened. This is the tree
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Speaker 2: of knowledge, the knowledge of good and evil. You may
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Speaker 2: eat of every tree in this garden, but the tree
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Speaker 2: of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.
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Speaker 1: What will happen if I do?
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Speaker 3: Knowledge of good and evil, which leads to evil itself,
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Speaker 3: while the tree of life brings eternal life. The knowledge
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Speaker 3: of evil brings death.
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Speaker 2: Death?
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Speaker 3: A choice is before you, Adam. You can freely take
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Speaker 3: up the Tree of Life, nourishing yourself in my abiding love.
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Speaker 3: You could live under the comforting canopy of your creator,
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Speaker 3: obeying me and partnering with me to cultivate the Earth.
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Speaker 3: Or you can reach for the Tree of Knowledge, You
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Speaker 3: can awaken your mind to the possibility of evil, seize autonomy,
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Speaker 3: and live apart from my blessing.
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Speaker 2: The choice was his. God wouldn't force him to climb
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Speaker 2: the hill and access eternal life. Nor would he stop
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Speaker 2: him from grasping at sin, even if it meant separation
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Speaker 2: from all things good. Life was new to Adam, so
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Speaker 2: the concept of death was strange. Yet if God was
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Speaker 2: the creator of life and all the beauty displayed before him,
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Speaker 2: Adam trusted that God's word was true. Adam looked back
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Speaker 2: at the tree. Something caught the corner of his eye.
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Speaker 2: He peered closer but saw nothing. He could have sworn
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Speaker 2: he saw a part of the trunk moving. He took
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Speaker 2: God at his word and stepped away. Behind him, tucked
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Speaker 2: in the shadow of the tree, Two eyes watched Adam leave.
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Speaker 2: Adam followed the stag's tracks to a clearing in the trees.
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Speaker 2: The stag was drinking from the stream. Just as Adam
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Speaker 2: was about to approach it, he saw another deer approach.
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Speaker 2: A doe with glistening eyes and a playful wag of
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Speaker 2: its tail. The stag perked at her presence and approached.
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Speaker 2: They circled each other playfully. then dipped their heads to touch.
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Speaker 2: They drank side by side, then pranced around each other
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Speaker 2: and back into the forest. Adam smiled, then frowned in confusion.
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Speaker 2: He felt a lack, an ache in his heart. The
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Speaker 2: Creator saw Adam's face. For all the goodness he had
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Speaker 2: imbued in creation, one thing wasn't good.
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Speaker 3: It is not good for man to be alone. I
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Speaker 3: will find a companion suitable for him. One to contend with,
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Speaker 3: grow with, and multiply with. One to help, love, and
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Speaker 3: be loved in return.
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Speaker 2: Adam ran through meadows and under trees, prancing with deer
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Speaker 2: and rolling around with wolf cubs. He studied each bird
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Speaker 2: by its song and feather. He understood why some fish
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Speaker 2: swam upstream while others remained at the banks of the ponds.
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Speaker 2: All the creatures had companions, those to multiply with and
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Speaker 2: sing the song of creation. Although he was in paradise,
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Speaker 2: Adam's heart continued to ache. He yearned for someone like him.
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Speaker 2: That night, Adam rested on a grassy hill underneath the stars.
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Speaker 2: The garden mist hovered below, weaving through the trees like
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Speaker 2: wandering ghosts. Adam looked up, pondering his future, the purpose
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Speaker 2: he had been crafted for. A warm breeze enveloped the valley,
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Speaker 2: causing the grass to sway. God put Adam's mind at
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Speaker 2: ease and cradled him to sleep with a warm breeze
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Speaker 2: and soothing lullaby of swaying grass and crickets. That night,
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Speaker 2: God opened Adam's side as if making an incision with
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Speaker 2: an invisible blade. Carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly, God removed a rib
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Speaker 2: from Adam. He didn't take a bone from his foot
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Speaker 2: or a piece of his head. He took a rib.
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Speaker 2: desiring to craft a companion to walk beside him, not
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Speaker 2: under him or above him, but beside. God closed up
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Speaker 2: Adam and used the rib to create a new life.
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Speaker 2: Flesh sprouted forth from bone like vines around branches. God's
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Speaker 2: glorious light danced around it as bone begat bone and
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Speaker 2: flesh grew on flesh. Elegantly, And masterfully, God fashioned a
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Speaker 2: woman and placed her gently beside Adam. She lay peacefully
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Speaker 2: and still in the tall grass. The breeze lifted her
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Speaker 2: hair over her face. Gently, silently, God breathed life into
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Speaker 2: her as well. Her chest rose and she exhaled. She
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Speaker 2: was alive. In the morning, The garden had a symphony
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Speaker 2: of sounds and colours. Verdant light delicately touched flower buds.
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Speaker 2: They stretched out, receiving its life-giving nourishment. Songbirds awakened the
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Speaker 2: rest of the forest. Foxes emerged from their burrows, and
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Speaker 2: deer drew water from the morning dew. Adam lay there
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Speaker 2: in the grass. The light touched his cheek, gently waking
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Speaker 2: him up. His eyes opened slightly. then closed again. He
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Speaker 2: opened them again in shock and sprang back. Another creature
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Speaker 2: lay beside him, sleeping soundly on the soft earth.
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Speaker 1: What are you?
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Speaker 2: The woman opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes
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Speaker 2: were filled with awe and curiosity. She wasn't startled or apprehensive.
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Speaker 2: She was filled with innocent amazement at the grass below
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Speaker 2: and the skies above. Adam stared at her closely. She
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Speaker 2: wasn't like the fawn or the birds of the air.
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Speaker 2: She was like him. Adam approached slowly. She propped herself
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Speaker 2: up and stood across from him. They circled each other,
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Speaker 2: mirroring each other's movements. Adam stepped to the side quickly.
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Speaker 2: She stepped to the side. Adam smiled, then spun around.
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Speaker 2: She mimicked his movement, returning his smile, but with far
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Speaker 2: more grace.
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Speaker 1: You're like me!
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Speaker 2: Eve tilted her head to the side. She smiled with
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Speaker 2: her eyes. It sent a pleasant shiver through Adam's body.
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Speaker 2: Feeling jittery, Adam jumped up and rolled down the grassy hill.
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Speaker 2: Flower petals sprang up behind him. The woman laughed and
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Speaker 2: leaped after him. Adam watched her hips and legs move.
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Speaker 2: He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath.
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Speaker 2: She enraptured him. They danced around each other, bodies inching
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Speaker 2: closer and closer with each spin. Finally, they stood face
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Speaker 2: to face beside the waterfall, the sound of rushing waters
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Speaker 2: mixing with their breath. The woman tilted her head at
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Speaker 2: Adam and raised her hand to his. He did the same.
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Speaker 2: The two touched, fingers intertwined in perfect connection. She looked
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Speaker 2: at their hands, then down at the water. She saw
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Speaker 2: her reflection. She was becoming aware of herself. Who am I?
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Speaker 2: I'm not sure. Adam was certain she was like him,
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Speaker 2: but unsure who she was. He held a hand to
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Speaker 2: his side and touched the scar where God had taken
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Speaker 2: his rib. He scanned her up and down. He remembered
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Speaker 2: the stag and doe in the forest. He knew she
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Speaker 2: was a mate for him, but he sensed she was
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Speaker 2: something more. Adam took her hand and brought it to
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Speaker 2: the scar on his side.
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Speaker 1: You're from me.
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Speaker 2: But who are you?
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Speaker 1: I'm Adam. I am man.
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Speaker 3: Adam.
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Speaker 2: Knowing his name brought familiarity and intimacy. The woman pondered long,
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Speaker 2: repeating his name under her breath.
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Speaker 3: Adam.
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Speaker 2: Adam.
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Speaker 3: Adam.
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Speaker 2: You are Adam. Man. Then what does that make me?
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Speaker 2: Who am I? What should I be called? Adam held
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Speaker 2: her hand gently, tenderly, knowingly. He traced the lines of
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Speaker 2: her palms with his fingertips. The wind from the rushing
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Speaker 2: waterfall pushed her hair to the side. Even in a
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Speaker 2: paradise of unfathomable and divine beauty, she was the most
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Speaker 2: breathtaking thing his young eyes had beheld. Adam ran a
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Speaker 2: hand through her hair and touched her cheek.
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Speaker 3: You.
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Speaker 1: a bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.
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Speaker 1: You are part of me, from me, and with me.
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Speaker 1: I am man, and you are woman. Eve.
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Speaker 2: Eve heard her name and became more aware of herself.
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Speaker 2: She was distinct from Adam, separate but still crafted in
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Speaker 2: the image of God. She looked at Adam with knowing
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Speaker 2: eyes and leaned closer to him. He mirrored her gesture.
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Speaker 2: They embraced each other in the safety of the garden.
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Speaker 2: They were naked and unashamed. Nothing separated them. No lies,
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Speaker 2: no fear, nothing to be hidden or withheld. Their bodies
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Speaker 2: intertwined in the flowers and beside the rushing waters. Adam
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Speaker 2: was no longer alone. He had a companion, a friend,
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Speaker 2: a helper. The two would walk side by side, filling
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Speaker 2: God's creation with more image bearers. All seemed perfect, good,
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Speaker 2: just as God intended. But deeper in the forest... Coiled
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Speaker 2: under the shadow of the Forbidden Tree, an evil presence
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Speaker 2: waited for its moment to strike. This PrayDogCon production is
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Speaker 2: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
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Speaker 2: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellevaga and Ben Gammon are
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Speaker 2: the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu.
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Speaker 2: Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz,
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Speaker 2: Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher,
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Speaker 2: and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by
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Speaker 2: Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear
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Speaker 2: Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed
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