Readings
for Lent 3B:
Exodus 20:1-17
March 18, 2006
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
St. Paul said to the Romans: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.” [Rom. 7]
This week, as part of our Via Media Lenten Program, we are going to deal with the topic of sin. Sin is also the focus of today’s sermon.
On March 20, 2003, the United States military invaded Iraq. Tomorrow is the 3rd anniversary of this event that has had grave implications for our world. Since that time,
Is there a word to describe the situation in Iraq? Yes. We call this condition of human depravity and degradation, SIN. Who is responsible for this sin? Is it Saddam Hussein? The Baath Party? Al-Qaeda? The Sunnis? The Shiites? The American Military? The American Government? The prison guards? The corporations who are overseeing oil production? The American people who demand a high standard of living?
Sin (with a capital S) is a condition of the heart. It means alienation. If you look at human history, we have been estranged and alienated from God, neighbor, self, and nature. Our selves and societies are damaged and distorted. Human life as we know it is a spoiled thing- not as it was created to be. Our existence is a contradiction with what God created us to be. We do not see the world as God sees it and we do not treat one another, as God would desire. Theology uses the word sin to describe this state of darkness and alienation. And so in regard to Iraq and the dignity of every human being, we have all sinned.
In addition to being in a state of alienation (i.e. Sin with a capital S), there are also sins (with a small s). These kinds of sins are willful choices that wreck relationships with others (such as stealing, bullying, gossiping, and taking advantage of others). Most of us engage in these sins because we want something and we fear that goodness will not get it for us. If we weren’t in a state of alienation, we would not trespass against our neighbor and thus wreck relationships.
In today’s reading from Romans, Paul claims that the reason we commit sins (with a small s) is because we are in bondage to a darkness that corrupts our will to do the right thing. Creating more rules, posting the 10 commandments in the public square, increasing the severity of punishment, can not and will not stop people from doing wrong because we are in bondage to a dark force that is greater than our ego strength. In order to release this power of darkness, we need to turn toward the Light, so that we can purify our thinking. While being disciplined is helpful, it cannot fully rid the darkness. Only the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth and enables us to grow into the likeness of Christ, can free us from the bondage of darkness. The spirit of God who was in Christ, the spirit who directed Jesus words, works, and sacrificial lifestyle, is the same spirit of God who can purify our will to follow in his footsteps.
“Sin is seeking our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.” [Catechism, BCP] When our relationship with God is distorted, we loose our ability to think and act from a place of unconditional love. In other words, we become self-centered. Of course, we can still be civilized. We can still create laws that are just, create programs to help the needy, and for the most part, be nice to those we care about. But when it comes to turning the other cheek and absorbing the pain of having been treated unfairly, most people tend to seek revenge. This causes additional suffering in the world and adds to the cycle of violence. Most of us value justice over mercy and forgiveness, giving people what they deserve (or at least what we think they deserve.) Even Christians seem to prefer “an eye for eye and a tooth for tooth” rather than walking the path of Jesus who showed mercy and was willing to sacrifice his life by challenging the domination system of his day.
William Temple (the famous archbishop of Canterbury and theologian) once described the doctrine of sin as self-centeredness: “When we open our eyes as babies, we see the world stretching out around us; we are in the middle of it; all proportions and perspectives in what we see are determined by the relation-distance, height, and so forth-of the various visible objects to ourselves. This will remain true of our bodily vision as long as we live. I am the center of the world I see; where the horizon is depends on where I stand.
“Now the same thing is true at first of our mental and spiritual vision. Some things hurt us; we hope they will not happen again; we call them bad. Some things please us; we hope they will happen again; we call them good. Our standard of value is the way things affect ourselves. So each of us takes his place in the center of his own world.
“But I am not the center of the world, or the standard of reference as between good and bad; I am not, and God is. In other words, from the beginning I put myself in God’s place. This is my original sin. I was doing it before I could speak, and everyone else has been doing it from early infancy. But I am in a state, from birth, in which I shall bring disaster on myself and everyone affected by my conduct unless I can escape from it.” [William Temple] “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.” [Paul, Romans 7]
The good news is that we are not doomed for a future of failure and darkness! With God all things are possible. Once we place God at the center of our lives and allow God’s spirit to direct our wills, then we will be free to make choices to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with God and all creation. So how do we proceed?
1. First of all, blaming ourselves or others does not seem to be helpful to the process of transformation. Instead, we need to become more self-reflective, more empathetic to the suffering and plight of others. We need to grieve this broken world of ours and all of the wrecked relationships.
2. Next, we need to make a conscious decision to become healers of this world instead of participants in the cycle of violence and retribution.
3. Finally, we need to open ourselves up to God’s grace to transform us from self-centered creatures. One of the ways we can open ourselves up to God’s grace is through the practice of the spiritual disciplines: Meditation, Prayer, Solitude, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Submission, Service, Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration. These are not additional penances to add to the burden of our busy lives. But they are a way of life, which can heal distorted patterns of thinking and release us from the bondage of darkness.
In his book, An Invitation to Love, Thomas Keating points out that most people react and make decisions from an emotional point of view rather than from a rational point of view. For example, say we are at work and our boss points out an error we have made. Instead of being grateful for the correction, most people will immediately revert into a defensive posture, filled with emotions. Some will experience a sense of hurt, thinking the boss does not like them. Some will experience a sense of fear, thinking they might be fired. Some will experience a sense of shame, believing that perfection is the only standard of being. Some will experience a sense of anger, feeling put upon and unappreciated. Whatever the feelings might be, we have moved from a place of reason to a place of wounded emotions that are buried deep in our consciousness. Keating would say that we need to heal those deep-seated wounds in our sub-conscious that prevent us from acting as rational and generous adults. How do we heal? Keating would recommend meditation and the other spiritual disciplines as the best medicine for our dis-ease.
We have lost our freedom to realize our divine destiny, to live in perfect trust and love toward God and neighbor. This is why the problems in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Venezuela, Indonesia, Israel, Palestine, the United States, and the world will be around for a long time. Who will rescue us from this spiritual death? “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
| Updated 3/26/06 |
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