Soulful Sundays: Sin

"There is no sin except stupidity." -Oscar Wilde

The word sin dates back to ancient Greece where it was an archery term. Literally translated, it means"to miss the mark.” In English, sin is any transgression against a moral or religious law--a rather haughty appropriation for an otherwise practical word. Nowadays, the word sin summons mixed feelings. Guilt, disgust, taboo, and apathy are all impediments to meaningful conversations about sin and its implications. If we are to grow as human beings, we must not shy away from discussing our misconducts, naming them, and understanding their hold over us.

A litany of different sins exist in the Judeo-Christian world, and even more existed during the golden age of these religions. Rules were established to conduct order among people who agreed to follow them. Often these rules were considered to be divinely influenced, thus legitimizing their authority (and adding to the temptation of abuse). While a growing majority of people today no longer identify with a particular religion, most everyone reading this is likely culturally Christian. This means that our language, our laws, and our very way of thinking have been inexorably (for better or for worse) shaped by Judeo-Christian concepts. Even if we can't agree with the divine origin of the rules, we can hopefully agree on the influence that they have had on us.

Scrutinizing sin with modern eyes can lead to some serious doubts about the cultures that employed it for control. Patriarchy, misogyny, and racism are all criticism that have been levied against any kind of biblical foundation of conduct. While these assessments are accurate in one sense, ironically, we are also subjectively imposing a value system that literally evolved from said biblical foundations. To avoid being stupid we must also look for the good elements of the past. In the language used by the founding fathers of the United States, we see many Christian ideas that even the greatest cynics would think twice about contradicting. These include the sovereignty of the individual, the right to free speech and due process, and the power of the word, or logos, to create clarity out of disorder.

Sin need not be a antiquated word of a bygone era. We are all sinners, not because we all make mistakes, but because we sometimes do so on purpose..The darker side of humanity will forever be present as long as we possess the free will to act on it. No text spelled out this reality more clearly than the Bible. No culture emphasizes the redemptive power of good deeds more than our own. We are called, then, as responsible citizens of the modern world to reconsider our relationship to sin. Where are we missing the mark in our own lives? Where are we saying one thing and doing another? What responsibilities are we neglecting? Answering these questions begins with taking a long hard look in the mirror and finding the courage to make the appropriate changes.