The story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden is a story of beginnings. It is a story of lost innocence that sets the stage for the rest of the Biblical narrative. How much of the story is literal history and how much is metaphorical imagery? Adam's name means "man" or "mankind," yet he is listed in the geneology of Christ as a human ancestor. Was the tree of knowledge really a tree with leaves and fruit or was it simply a metaphor for forbidden knowledge? We may never know for sure. One thing is certain: Without the story of humanity's fall, the rest of the Bible--a story about God's efforts to redeem fallen humanity--falls into a vacuum. "Adam!" God calls in the garden. "Adam, where are you?" If you listen very closely, you may hear him calling still.