I don’t really like to be naked. In fact the only person I know who does is my 7 year old daughter. Fraught with sensory issues she prefers her skin to be free!!!! Although the older she gets we have to tame her desires and ask her to cover up with a blanket. Sometimes I want to call her Eve because she reminds me of that unashamed beginning in the garden. Where naked in public wasn’t weird and wouldn’t get you put in jail.

As I embarked on a highly theological text today, I was reminded of my own humanity, and how much theology runs far above the limits of my head. But I was fascinated by the explanation of a verse from Genesis.

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21

It had never really occurred to me that this was the first sacrifice. The first time blood had to be shed to cover up shame and sin. Animal blood, but blood none the less. A sacrifice was made so that the nakedness could be covered. Made by the Lord God. The God who loves us.

It never ceases to amaze me, this entry of sin into humanity. Not that we would succumb to temptation and sin, that doesn’t surprise me at all. But that God had a plan in place to cover us from day one is pretty awesome.

He didn’t have to care enough to allow a sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve. He didn’t have to care enough to allow His son to die as sacrifice for us. But He loved us, so He did.

Our sins are covered by His blood so that we can be set free. Sure, it would be nice if we were perfect and didn’t need covering. But we aren’t. So God made a way to let us in. To set us free. So that we have the freedom of covered nakedness. We don’t have to hide ashamed. We are allowed to be who we are because He covers up the shame. Just like my daughter wraps herself in a blanket. We can wrap ourselves in the blanket of His love. Unashamed and cloaked in forgiveness.

Now I’m not suggesting that any of us take up the habits of my daughter. That would be awkward wouldn’t it? Or that we just keep on sinning because we are covered by grace.

What I am suggesting is that when we do sin, we allow His grace to cover in a way that releases shame yet turns away from sin in repentance. Just because we sinned doesn’t mean we have to hide. His forgiveness freed us from the need to hide and allows us to share the message of forgiveness with others. No need to hide or run away. His sacrifice covers, and that is all the covering we will ever need.