And they were both naked,

.... the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). Years ago I had an idea for a book that never got written “Thy Kingdom come on earth? You have to be joking!”  The Church has been praying this for two thousand years (Luke 11:1b, 2) and,  well look around! In those days I had a lot of unbelief, but I had one thing right! In order to know what the Kingdom on earth would look like, we have the before the fall picture in Genesis. In  particular the picture of  nakedness here, is not primarily about lack of cloths.  It's about innocence, openness and transparency in relationships. This is the very opposite of hiding in guilt and shame (3:7, 8), the first thing they did after the fall!

It's not safe of course (openness and transparency). And we can clarify our picture by eliminating from it what we know from our  knowledge (experience) of evil (2:9). Starting with blame (3:12) we see the ripple effect that includes jealousy, resentment, bitterness, murder etc.,  all the things Jesus tells us flow out of the unregenerate  heart (Matthew 15:19). And our part in bringing the Kingdom to earth needs to start with it in our close personal relationships. In particular we need to work towards obeying “confessing our faults one to another and praying for one another, in order that we  might be healed” (James 5:16a).

Marriage preparation (while we still think the other is perfect) needs to start with acknowledging what we said yesterday “You're trouble,  and I'm trouble.” If we can get into the habit, of fessing up while still in the honeymoon stage, there's hope for it to continue.  It's going to be harder if we don't start from a position of trust. But if we don't learn to confess our faults, we will inevitably finish up confessing the other person's faults. “You have a zit on your nose!” 'Well,  your whole face is one big zit!' This doesn't bring the healing promised in James.

Speaking of healing, it is not just in individual relationships where it's needed. We need to pray for a domino effect, to reverse the ripple effect mentioned above. We're instructed how to start this in  2 Chronicles 7:14! “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,  forgive their sin and heal their land.” The first domino stars with both the humbling and the turning implicit in James 5:16. It's humbling, and when we confess, we're less likely to repeat the offence. But the whole thing is impossible without God's help. And that is why we need to pray!

But we also need to operate out of faith. James 5:16b states “The fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  In order to claim this, we need the righteousness which is from God by faith (Philippians 3:9).  But we also need practical righteousness, that is to be walking in the light (1 John 1:7), and as in Chronicles seeking His face.

Father, please wake up Your church, Your ecclesia, wake me up to our need to do our part in bringing the Kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven. Forgive us Lord for our pride,  our apathy and our divisions. Bring us to the place where we can claim that our prayers are powerful,  so that in faith can we expect You to heal our land in Jesus Name Amen