I’ve been reflecting on the idea of “original goodness.”

We often focus on the concept of “original sin,” but before the fall, there was something far more profound: original goodness. That is our true nature, the essence of who we were created to be. Genesis 1:31 says, “God looked over everything He had made; it was so good, so very good!” This was the Creator’s final word over the universe—a proclamation of its inherent goodness.

The Hebrew word teshuvah is often translated as “repent,” but its root meaning is “to return.” What are we returning to? Not to shame or judgment, but to our original state—to the goodness that has always been our birthright. It is a return to love, compassion, joy, hope, peace, and freedom.

Why did Jesus appear in a garden after His resurrection? Gardens are sacred spaces of renewal and life. I believe His choice to meet Mary Magdalene there carried profound symbolism. It was as if He was saying, I have come to restore you to your original state.

The story of Eden is often framed as a tragedy, but it is also a story of harmony and beauty. Adam and Eve were naked yet unashamed, living in perfect union with God, creation, and each other. Shame and separation were not part of the design; they came later. Jesus’ death and resurrection invite us to step back into the garden, to reclaim the intimacy we were created for.

This is not a distant dream or a theological abstraction—it is an invitation. Come, let us return. Return to the garden. Return to union. Return to love.

Perhaps the call of teshuvah is not just a personal one but a collective one. What would our world look like if we lived as though our original goodness was true? If we treated one another—and ourselves—as bearers of divine beauty? If we saw the world as “so good, so very good”?

This is the life Jesus came to awaken in us. Not a life bound by fear and failure, but a life rooted in love and flourishing. Let us return to the garden together. Let us reclaim our true nature.