Flannery O'Conner and the Sin of Smugness

"The operation of the church is entirely set up for the sake of the sinner, which creates much misunderstanding among the smug." ~ Flannery O'Conner

I believe that "smug" represents not merely a people in the church but an attitude that signals a need for repentance. I often have found that where I am "smug" is where I need to confess and repent. "Smug" represents that place where I believe I am better than most, independent, autonomous and succesful without a need for God's generous grace. My story in these areas of my life are not the gospel, saved by God's grace, but the story of the ant and grasshopper where I can shake my head in amazement at the laziness and lack of others. What's the best way out of "smug"? The recognition of "smugness" is addressed directly by a particular Christian practice. The practice of confession. In his famous little book, Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that the Bible on a number of occasions enjoins us to “confess our sins to one another” (James 5:16). In fact, without such concrete confession between Christians, Bonhoeffer argues, you simply cannot have real Christian fellowship. You can have a country club or reading group but you will not have a church. Bonhoeffer understood that it is confessing your sins to a trusted friend that allows you to move beyond the illusion of your own goodness. A person who confesses her sin in the presence of another can no longer perpetuate such smugness but experiences the truth “I am sinner but God forgives and loves me.” Luther in his Large Catechism said: “Therefore when I admonish you to confession I am admonishing you to be a Christian.”

It’s important to remember that the practice of confession requires three moves. First, there is the confession of how I feel - the honest recognition of faults and feelings apart from trying to sound holy. Second, there is a confession of sin – that deep down we are broken, prone to flee and run from the One who loves us. Third, there is the confession of God’s truth - that we are sinners saved by grace.