I spend too much time thinking about sin, perhaps through my own multiple and obvious fleshly failings. About 12 yeaars ago, I was physically threatened by a man on the labor floor, who had to be arrested. I thought about his behavior, and realized he felt fear, adn responded with aggression. I thought about that, and wondered what it would be like to live without fear of any kind. No fear of your sexuality, no fear for meals, clothes, realtionships, love, nothing. No fear of death. What would such a person be like. On the drive home, I realized that person would be like Jesus.
This led me to think about what we call sin. It seems to me that all sin is based in fear. Fear of inadequacy, fear of want, fear of self. The reactions to fear may be acceptable or not to society, but they all seem the same to me emotionally.
One man is a college droout, and in his insecurity (and probable autism- look at Youtube videos) he drives himself to work with computer programs. he creates a company and becomes one of the welathiest men in the world. We call that man Bill Gates, and admire what he has done.
Another man is a fat, part-time clown. He is homosexual, but deeply ashamed of his sexuality. He can only express his desires by picking up strange teen boys, who he then ties up , assaults and kills. He places their dismembered bodies under his home. We call that man John Wayne Gacy, and despise him.
But what if they are the same in the eyes of God? What if God sees our fears and our fleshly desires, and accounts all of their consequences the same? God does not judge as Man judges. Maybe the 'success' of Gates and the 'crime' of Gacy are really the same in the eyes of eternity- a failure to trust and commune with God.
Paul makes clear that we are not justified by works, but by faith alone. If we can not 'earn' our way into the grace of God by what we do, why does it make any difference what we do? While admitting that a person in communion with God is less likely to exploit and deliberately harm others, the equivalent incidence of extra-marital intercourse among very devout and non-observant groups speaks to the uniformity of temptation. It is facile but I believe false to claim that a 'true' relationship with God prevents such behavior. Anyone can be tempted- we all have the same fears and needs.
If we are acceptable to God, either through the sacrifice of Jesus or the grace of God forgiving our gross failings and fears (however you construct the concept), then the violent homosexual murderer has as much claim to heaven as the pious teetotaler.
I often think of this issue not as the acceptability of one soul over another, but rather in their size. everything on earth feels to me to be filled with glorious life, some things and creatures more than others. Perhaps someone like John Wayne Gacy is not so much unacceptable to God as simply small in soul. Maybe Bill Gates is also, to quote an Episcopalian hymn 'rich in things and poor in soul'. We can all think of people who have enormous physical gifts, great beauty or athletic ability, who are either stupid or cruel, or both. Worldly, bodily success is not associated with a big soul any more than a great body is associated with a great mind.
Those who have children know they are sent out to play. When they are sent out, they are given rules- don't cross the street, don't bite people, don't poop in the sand box, etc, etc. If those children violate those rules, they may suffer physical harm, be shunned by other children or punished by their parrents. But are they not wlecomed home? Are they unloved or unacceptable because of their failings in the sand box? Are they cast off because they are retarded, or have club feet? Of course not.
In concentrating on our sand box, our temporary home, perhaps we miss the enormity of the love and concern of God for us, a love that makes the poor, deformed and criminally violent every bit as much loved children of God as the abstemious, the pious and the wealthy.
Ted
This led me to think about what we call sin. It seems to me that all sin is based in fear. Fear of inadequacy, fear of want, fear of self. The reactions to fear may be acceptable or not to society, but they all seem the same to me emotionally.
One man is a college droout, and in his insecurity (and probable autism- look at Youtube videos) he drives himself to work with computer programs. he creates a company and becomes one of the welathiest men in the world. We call that man Bill Gates, and admire what he has done.
Another man is a fat, part-time clown. He is homosexual, but deeply ashamed of his sexuality. He can only express his desires by picking up strange teen boys, who he then ties up , assaults and kills. He places their dismembered bodies under his home. We call that man John Wayne Gacy, and despise him.
But what if they are the same in the eyes of God? What if God sees our fears and our fleshly desires, and accounts all of their consequences the same? God does not judge as Man judges. Maybe the 'success' of Gates and the 'crime' of Gacy are really the same in the eyes of eternity- a failure to trust and commune with God.
Paul makes clear that we are not justified by works, but by faith alone. If we can not 'earn' our way into the grace of God by what we do, why does it make any difference what we do? While admitting that a person in communion with God is less likely to exploit and deliberately harm others, the equivalent incidence of extra-marital intercourse among very devout and non-observant groups speaks to the uniformity of temptation. It is facile but I believe false to claim that a 'true' relationship with God prevents such behavior. Anyone can be tempted- we all have the same fears and needs.
If we are acceptable to God, either through the sacrifice of Jesus or the grace of God forgiving our gross failings and fears (however you construct the concept), then the violent homosexual murderer has as much claim to heaven as the pious teetotaler.
I often think of this issue not as the acceptability of one soul over another, but rather in their size. everything on earth feels to me to be filled with glorious life, some things and creatures more than others. Perhaps someone like John Wayne Gacy is not so much unacceptable to God as simply small in soul. Maybe Bill Gates is also, to quote an Episcopalian hymn 'rich in things and poor in soul'. We can all think of people who have enormous physical gifts, great beauty or athletic ability, who are either stupid or cruel, or both. Worldly, bodily success is not associated with a big soul any more than a great body is associated with a great mind.
Those who have children know they are sent out to play. When they are sent out, they are given rules- don't cross the street, don't bite people, don't poop in the sand box, etc, etc. If those children violate those rules, they may suffer physical harm, be shunned by other children or punished by their parrents. But are they not wlecomed home? Are they unloved or unacceptable because of their failings in the sand box? Are they cast off because they are retarded, or have club feet? Of course not.
In concentrating on our sand box, our temporary home, perhaps we miss the enormity of the love and concern of God for us, a love that makes the poor, deformed and criminally violent every bit as much loved children of God as the abstemious, the pious and the wealthy.
Ted
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