Know Me From Adam

I went to the Sistine Chapel in Rome. I was sort of irritated by the entire situation. I used ChatGPT to tell me what to do with kids in Rome and it made me a plan that didn’t include the Sistine Chapel. I didn’t catch it. And I didn’t think about it until I was in Rome and luckily I managed to get one ticket last minute.

But nothing for my family. So I was upset. Mike really wanted to go but we’ll go again later. I could spend a month in Rome without hesitation.

But here’s the thing ChatGPT is correct. That is not a place to take kids. All anyone wants to actually see is the ceiling Michaelangelo painted but you must walk 600.5 miles to reach it, full of  boring weird stuff. We’re all just plodding along like cattle like where is that one scene where God is reaching for man? Come onnnnnnn.

Anyway. It took longer for me to get there than to type all that and it was more exhausting too. But finally I emerge into the Sistine Chapel. The ceiling greats me along with a guard yelling at people for taking pictures. Which is bizarre and strange and I didn’t listen anyway. Almost got thrown out of the Sistine Chapen but I do have a few photos. I sort of wanted to add “got thrown out of the Sistine Chapel” to my bingo card for 2025.

My kids have this habit of saying, “2025 just got even weirder.” In an announcer’s voice when something strange happens OR (get this) when things are completely normal. It’s fabulous for us as a family. Water is delivered to our table, “2025 just got even weirder, the waiter brought water.”

“Mom has been thrown out of the Sistine Chapel, 2025 just got even weirder.”  I’m torn between that being something completely unhinged or completely normal. I am not known for my rule following. But you have one life to live and as for me and my house, we’re taking pictures in the Sistine Chapel.

So there I am. It’s beautiful and I immediately forget all thoughts of the journey I have fortaken to get her. That’s not a word? Well, it should be. I fortook a journey. Ok. Get on board.

It was a journey. I fortook it and I am now happily in aw of God reaching for man. Other scenes too. So much. Too much. Too far away. I should take a picture and zoom in… and a guard is yelling at me. Ok. Scrap that idea.

I find the scene though. The one scene that’s in everyone’s heads as they fortake their journey to this place. They’ve come here from everywhere. I’m from Orlando I repeat again and again here in Italy, feeling ridiculous. You know, where Disney World is. They nod. Knowingly. I am American and they eye me with equal parts awe and something else. Not disdain. More like wisdom. Ah. You’re in the drink over there, aren’t you?  They do not say but know. Yes, indeed we are. We need Jesus. I see you still have him here?

And I do. The church is prevalent and I don’t mean the buildings with the steeples. I mean the people. The smiles, the love, the laughter. They have so much less stuff and so much more happiness.

His people are here and thriving. It’s the year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church and the shirts are everywhere. Knowing the Man well myself and being totally in love with Him, I’ve acquainted myself with the emblems and they are everywhere.

I’ve been told that Catholics aren’t “us” but these people, It’s obvious. They have Him in a real way that I can see on their faces and so I feel very much like they are “us”. We should be so lucky actually.

So I know that as we emerge under that ceiling we’re all looking for Him. This isn’t a cultural experience for us. This is about Him.

We’ve come from everywhere to see this piece of our history that’s so clearly who we are inside. Reaching for Him. Desperate.

My eyes find the space between the fingers. I’d forgotten they aren’t touching. God is reaching for Adam. Adam reaches for God. But they don’t meet.

Michangelo felt what we feel. That longing for Him. So close and so distant. He got it. He for sure got it. He’s never been my favorite Ninja Turtle, but he gets my heart. That infinitesimal distance between me and my Creator.

Unacceptable.

Never closing.

I lined my finger up to close the gap between them. If I could just get God to Adam, how different would the world be?

My nail is painted perfectly for this trip. I did French tips but chose purple for the tip instead of white. Very girly.

And my brain whirs.

It wasn’t ever Adam.

It was Eve.

She’s what’s missing here. Her purple tipped nail could have been the thing to close the gap. The distance between them.

You’ll not be familiar with the idea that God values the women as much, nay, MORE than the men. That they were to lead. That the women are the thing God is proudest of making.

The Crown of Creation.

His best thing.

The thing that was hardest for Him to make and was last.

We’ve been told the opposite and if you believe it, you deserve to because the truth is everywhere.

Women are the more advanced version.

Women are leveled up.

Women are the pride of creation.

Not men.

If there’s inequality between the genders and one is “better” than the other (as society has had us believe), it’s clear if you give it the briefest glance, it’s the women who are more capable. Not the men.

And God would not have reached for Adam. The second in command. The second to last thing He made. The basic version of humans.

God reached for Eve.

And He still does today.

If that gap ever closes, we’ll be the ones who do it. Get reaching.