As Adam and his sons, Cain and Abel, were walking one day, they passed the beautiful Garden of Eden. Just to pass by was an experience. Adam knew what was inside those beautiful gates -- the lush fruit, the gorgeous flowers -- it was a place of endless delight.

An angel with a flaming sword was guarding the gate. Adam said, "Boys, take a good look. That's where we lived before your mother ate us out of house and home."

In the words of Paul Harvey, "that's the rest of the story."

The first chapter of Genesis closes its account of creation with the words, "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good."

In the second chapter of Genesis, where the second story of creation is told, that creation story reflects the same kind of perfection, "And out of the ground the L…