Thursday, August 30, 2007

Sin

Tonight I started by thinking about sin. I looked through Why Christian? by Douglas John Hall, which I had previously read, to get some good quotes or ideas to start my thinking. (This is when underlying while reading really pays off.) I starting rereading one of the chapters which starting with what Jesus died for. Jesus died for our sins right? But do we really feel guilty? I think I'm a pretty good person. Sure I can look for ways that make me feel guilty if I think I need a reality check, but my overall state of being is that I'm pretty good. Heaven and hell are too abstract and too (hopefully) far into the future to occupy much of my thoughts. It is something that I consider when someone dies, but other than that it doesn't occupy much of my time.
This was the basic idea of how this chapter started. And I can really relate.
So what is sin then? And why did Jesus die? And does it make sense in our modern context.

Jesus died so that I might have life and have it more abundantly. Sounds good. But there is more to explore here.

So what is sin? Is it moral wrong doing? No. Is it breaking the 10 commandments? Sorta, but way more complex and simple than just that. We can't reduce Christianity to doing what is "good" and being moral people. If we do, we not only miss the point but we miss the Gospel (good news).

Sin is separation, alienation, not being whole.

Sin is what separates me from God. God who is love. God who is life. Sin keeps me from being in communion with the source of life and love.

Sin is what tears apart community. It is what keeps me from loving other people and them from loving me. It is what makes me think I am better than someone else and by doing so keeps me from being in community with them. Sin is separation and alienation that hinders community. Community is how we sustain life and experience love. It is how we experience God in tangible ways.

Sin is what keeps me from being the complete person God created me to be. It is my laziness, my self centeredness, my lack of trust, my lack of confidence. Anything that hinders me from being complete. Sin is brokenness and I am a broken person. We all are.

It is way to late to continue or edit. So there you have it. My first post on this blog. Stay tune for future ramblings.