(Re)Think Original Sin
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned — 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. ~ Romans 5:12-14
Meditation:
We learned last week that sin is not our origin story. Rather, we learned that a good God made us. And if that’s true, then we are good, made in love for goodness sake – before we say or do anything - in our essence, because God made us in God’s image. And yet, it’s impossible to get away from the brokenness of our story as well. As we just sang,
Something's been stolen
Under the weight of the curse you've been broken
You're not what happened
You're more than the shame you were recklessly given
So the tragic reality is that we also find ourselves broken and cursed by forces outside of our control, recklessly given, which cause us, sometimes even willingly, to hurt and harm others, even those we love. And that part of the story, is found in what Christian thinkers have called original sin. But original sin is not so much a verdict of guilt by association, as if we’re blamed and held responsible for Adam’s sin. I’m not guilty of his crime. Nor does it mean we inherit something as if sin is some genetic thing. No, Paul tells us, that the result of Adam is an environment, a culture, of death. So the importance of original sin is that it names our relationship to sin and its place in our story. Our first encounter with sin is as its victim. Before we regrettably say or do anything we are harmed by it. It’s the second-hand smoke of our lives that fill our lungs, before we’ve ever lit up a cigarette for ourselves. Sin is like the generational trauma of an abusive home that creates and fosters pain, anxiety, confusion, and death, which perpetuates itself as victims become abusers themselves. It’s discovered in the cultural sickness of systemic racism which shapes us even if we’re not to blame for the horrors of racism or Jim Crow. If we lose the point of original sin – that everyone is a victim first, everyone is sick and dying – we will always blame people for their plight and miss Paul’s point – that even when we try our best and don’t break a command, he says, we can’t escape sin’s oppressive reach of death – that’s the story of Jeremy Wanak, who was recently killed by a drunk driver. Jeremy did nothing wrong and yet encountered death any way. But don’t miss Paul’s greater point, even though we can’t escape, there is One – our Savior – who has and reverses the death that comes for us all.
Reflection Question: If “original sin” is like generational trauma that victimizes and deforms us and all of our relationships, prayerfully consider how you have encountered that in your life and/or the world. How have you experienced “original sin”?
(Re)Think Sin & Shame
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. . . 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Meditation Notes:
As the story of Genesis continues sin appears on the scene and we see its effects. Adam and Eve cowering in the shadows. We discover that sin loves shame. It thrives on creating the myth of separation. It festers in the dark. It deforms us with a toxic view of God that we see both in and outside the church - that God is to be feared. It thrives in an environment of moralism, where we shame people and blame others – make them feel less than, lower than, outside of, and make them believe that sin is all they are. But into that fear is God’s cry, “Where are you?” It’s the “Olly, olly, oxen free” of our lives. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
I love how the earliest creed, outside of the Bible, the Apostles’ Creed, makes this point. After narrating and summarizing the life of Jesus, as God come down, who died and rose again, on our behalf, it doesn’t speak about sin until almost the end. Do you remember?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic [universal] Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Friends, this side of the gospel; in the light of the One who clothed Adam and Eve so that they wouldn’t be ashamed; in light of the One who took on a cross, despising the shame, we too must only speak about sin in the context of covering and forgiveness. It’s God’s kindness, we’re told, that leads to repentance. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong about feeling bad about sin. But it’s another thing entirely to make someone feel bad about themselves. That’s what sin wants. But if God is the Great Physician then the most important thing we can do, is shamelessly show him our wounds.
Reflection Question: If the Apostles’ Creed is right, that sin should always follow a declaration of forgiveness, how can Christians and the church talk about sin and yet create a safe-space to welcome people without shaming anyone?
(Re)Think Your Sin
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ~ Luke 23:34a
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. ~ James 5:16
2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. ~ 1 John 2:1-2
Meditation Notes:
What’s your synonym for sin? Is it rebellion? Evil? Sickness? Shattered? Is it unlovely or unlovable? Does your definition leave you feeling beyond the reach of a God of love or the love of others? We’ve been learning that sin is devastating but sin is not the most important thing about you. Hamartia, the Greek word often used for sin, literally means “to miss the mark,” like an archer missing a target. It’s “I missed the mark.” not “I’m a terrible person.” Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t use that phrase every time sin appears in the Bible – “missed the mark”. Because let’s be truly honest: sometimes, we miss on purpose, even targeting others with our arrows of pain, and sometimes we miss even when we try our best. Sometimes, Jesus says, “we don’t know what we’re doing.”
Friends, the sign of a mature Christian is not that we don’t sin but that we can confess it to each other. The sign of a mature Christian is not that we revel in our personal forgiveness but that we extend it – remembering Jesus extends it to the whole world. This a difficult place to occupy – to confess and acknowledge our frailty and responsibility for sin and to hold fast to the reality of our forever belovedness. And you can’t do that alone. We must do it together, shaping a culture of forgiveness – of word and deed - that seeks to counteract Adam’s culture of shame and death. That’s what it means to be the church.
Reflection Question: How have the scriptures, songs, or meditations, possibly helped you reframe sin? What’s one helpful thought that you are leaving with today?