In the ancient myths, Pandora was the first woman. Sculpted of clay and given as a bride to one of the titans, she received many gifts from the gods. Aphrodite gave her beauty. Athena gifted her with skill. Hermes made her eloquent. Zeus crafted for her a curious mind. And to this beautiful creature, he presented a box that was never to be opened.
Thus, Pandora descended to earth, the marvel of all men. But the box consumed her thoughts until she couldn’t resist anymore. She yielded to her desire and loosed the lid. Out flowed all the miseries of mankind. Pandora slammed the lid shut as quickly as she could, but all the sins of humanity had already poured forth. Only one thing was left in the box: Hope.
Like the human race, this myth is mutated from its original state but hints of its foundational truths remain. We have all been given great gifts from the Creator. But Eve, our first mother, thought the LORD was withholding pleasure from her and rebelled against God. That rebellion plunged a perfect world into the chaos we see today. Each of us chooses to walk in the footsteps of Eve and thus, we justly drink of her consequences. Yet, hope remains for mankind to be reconciled to God in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift. Our name Pandora’s Porch is a reference to the wisdom Eve gained after her folly, the hope to be found in Jesus, and a consistent reminder to humility for her daughters.
