Living in harmony with nature is so essential to our well-being that it is the first lesson of scripture. The account of creation in the book of Genesis tells of the idyllic Garden of Eden where man lives amid beauty and new life. Rather than be contrary to scientific explanations of the origins of the world, Genesis can be read as a parable about the need for man and woman, God and nature to live together, a communion of balance. That idyll was lost when the serpent tempted Adam, persuading him that he knew best. It was as if the leaves shrivelled, the birds fell silent, and the flowers drooped.
我们《圣经》中的第一课就是，和自然和谐共处对我们有莫大的好处。《创世纪》中关于造人章节中，描述了一个田园诗般的伊甸园，人们在其中体会着生机勃勃之美。跟世界起源的科学解释不同，《创世纪》有其比喻意义，男人和女人，上帝和自然之间有和谐共存、均衡发展的必要。当毒蛇诱惑了亚当，让他觉得自己无所不知的时候，伊甸园消失了，枝叶枯萎了，鸟儿静默了，花朵凋零了。
