There has yet to be a human to survive a span of history without at least one end of the world. It is the subject of extensive scholarly debate whether stillborn babies are subject to the same revelations-if we could say that they have lived without endings. This debate, of course, demands a close examination of that more profound question: Was the world first created or ended? When the Lord our God breathed on the universe, was that a genesis or a revelation? Should we count those seven days forward or backward? How did the apple taste, Adam? And the half a worm you discovered in that sweet and bitter pulp: was that the head or the tail?
The quote reflects on the concept of apocalypses throughout human history, suggesting that every person experiences some form of ending. It raises the philosophical question of whether stillborn babies live without experiencing an ending, leading to a deeper inquiry about the nature of existence itself. This discussion challenges the linear perception of history, positing that every creation might also have an ending intertwined with it.
Furthermore, the quote contemplates the moment of creation and whether it signifies a beginning or an end. By referencing biblical imagery and the story of Adam, it emphasizes the complexity of understanding our origins. The mention of tasting the apple introduces the idea that our experiences are layered with both sweetness and sorrow, prompting us to question the fundamental nature of life and what it truly means to begin or end.
