Yes. Really.

Well, maybe not what a lot of people think.

My last two posts, on the reality and concept of plague (connected to both Easter and the nature of our identity) were a kind of indirect way of dealing with the theological concepts of Sin and Redemption.

No, I’m not going to toss around more buzz words here. But the meaning behind those two words are important. I’d argue they’re almost the whole ballgame. Let’s see why.

First, let’s get this word “sin” out of the way. I was Zoom-talking with a wise friend early this morning (7am and coffee in-hand) and we agreed that this particular word presents a massive barrier to conversations between Christians and those who are skeptical or hostile to its claims. This makes complete sense.

I may be going way out on a limb here (and I haven’t consulted the ironclad results of a Google search) but I’d hazard a guess that, if your average non-Christian were to be asked on the street to share what they think the word means, they’d say something like,

“It’s stuff that Christians think they shouldn’t do.”

Or, “It’s things Christians say are immoral.”

In other words, bad stuff that Christians identify as immoral behavior. As this line of thinking goes, one can list them specifically. I believe that list will be heavily populated with behaviors having to do with sex. By extension, that list might include other “vices,” activities that Christians believe are also immoral. In some quarters that will include gambling, drinking, and even dancing.

Moral behavior is therefore good and immoral behavior is therefore bad. Immoral behavior should be battled so that Christians should behave well and (also be extension in many Christian communities), therefore, find favor with God.

Now, while I agree that one can come up with lists and categories of behaviors and attitudes that are bad, it’s really the “reason” that they are bad that needs to be clarified. And, in that reason is the understanding of the nature of the concept of sin.

As I’ve been trying to say, God seeks a relationship with us. (People might disagree on this point but this is what I believe, with good reason.) He actually seeks more than a mere “relationship” with us. He wants that relationship to be deeply loving. In fact, since he’s the basis of all love and he’s God, for goodness sake, he wants us to experience that love on the most fundamental level. He wants that love to infuse every piece of our being. And, he wants it to be a two-way street. Love him as he loves us. This was and is his original intention. It’s always been that way and will always be that way. We are free to believe this and to structure our lives around this and we are free to disregard this and structure our lives around other things. Love cannot exist without choice. Love is an intentional act. Machines cannot love. So, God lets us choose. (I don’t want to go into the complexities of Free Will here so please give me a little latitude!)

So, here’s the deal. When we make choices that interfere or impede this loving relationship with God, that’s not good. Good is a loving relationship with God. Bad is that which obstructs that loving relationship. God knows this. Jesus taught this. Religious leaders through the ages have preached this. But, there’s a problem.

And this is a large part of that problem. When we place our full attention on the lists of don’ts, we can easily lose sight of the true object of our attention, God. We may think that we are focusing on God but, often, that’s not the case. We may be incorrectly focusing on God as some figure we want to please by avoiding certain things. But, that’s not the main point. In fact, by focusing on these lists … which can end up being endless … we become rigid about our own behaviors and lose sight of the love.

Unfortunately, many Christians get pulled off the true path and end up traveling down false roads that lead away from the main objective. A rigid following of rules and intense concentration on “behaving appropriately,” is a surefire way of leading to judgementalism and self-righteousness. I know Christians who are stiff, lack joy, and are quick to point out faults in others.

There’s a reason Jesus said to a similar group of observant and religious people: “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”  They were heartless and judgmental, believing that their job was to eradicate immoral behavior as defined in long lists.

I imagine many people have an image of scolding old men and women when they hear the word, “sin.”

In fact, they might want to look through the eyes of the woman about to be stoned, naked and vulnerable, ashamed of her misguided priorities. Who and what did she see? What did she hear?

She saw Jesus, this Rabbi and “religious” leader who did not behave like all the other sanctimonious religious leaders. I believe she saw softness and a kind of compassionate sorrow. He graciously lifted her up in a way that showed deep love and he said,“Go and sin no more.” In other words, “You can choose to live differently and I’m showing you what’s available if you do.”

It wasn’t the satisfaction that she would now become a “rule follower” and, therefore more accepted in the community. It wasn’t condemnation for past behavior and, by changing that behavior she could curry favor with the powerful.

It was the piercing revelation that she was deeply loved and that this love was 100% available to her at all times. She didn’t need to find worth and value in activities that blinded her to that love. I expect she, like many millions and millions who have had similar revelations, emerged into a brand-new reality that transformed her life.

To bring up that other related “theological” concept: She was redeemed. She was washed clean. Given new life. The word, “redemption,” means to compensate for something. Make payment for a debt, if you will.

To conclude these three posts during a brief period that many Christians call Holy Week, the thing that most “plagues” us is the belief that we are on our own, perhaps trying to be good persons but finding ourselves thinking and behaving at times that we know, deep down, are not healthy for us. We search for identity, meaning, value, and worth in things that are transitory and are often or eventually disappointed.

My takeaway for this week is that we all fall short of living the life we were designed to live. We all think and behave in ways that pull us away from the loving arms of God. Yes, we can construct lists of these things but let’s not get distracted.

For Jesus says to each of us, “I’ve got this. This is who I am and this is why I came. I am the Redeemer and, by my actions, I have set you free. Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you life.”

Thank you, Jesus.