To read the Holy Word egocentrically will lead to trouble. When God told Adam to have “Dominion” over creation, I’m afraid we understood our role in the very worse sense of the word. To have dominion is to be separate from; other than or to be exalted above, we thought, rather than to be steward of creation as the text most likely means. We read it as creation being something to be used (up?). You saw of course where that train was headed even before the whistle blew…

The Apple Gathers – Sir Ralph Spencer

We see ourselves as radically removed from nature rather than as a part of it. We are offended at being called the human animal. Our bent toward alienation makes us adverse to humility when the dirt is our salvation for we are not separate from nature.

Enter the apple…

English: Central Asia Español: Asia Central (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The apple has an elegant strategy for survival. Beginning in Central Asia the plant has taken root across the earth helped along by mammals love affair with its fruit, whose sweetness, a trait rare in nature, but very attractive to mammals. So off the apple went soon making common cause with animals/humans thus covering the earth. The success of the apple points out that humanity is more integrated as part of creation than we in our egocentricity are willing to admit.