I was asked recently what I thought sin is. Interesting question: the definition of sin varies depending on how one is raised and what one believes. One way we sin is against God. The first three of the ten commandments specifically speak to how we act towards and treat the Almighty. 1 – Have no other God before God. 2 – Don’t make a graven image of God. 3 – Don’t take God’s name in vain. Of course, there must be more ways we sin against God, right? We could certainly interpret a number of other laws and commandments in that light, but that, as so many other things, could be argued as being the equivalent of our opinion, which cannot be equated with God’s rules. That’s fair. Let me give it a try anyway.
One of the most troubling ways I think that we sin against God is the way we treat the planet. The 2nd chapter of Genesis makes it clear that God’s first creation – first love – is the earth and the universe, and while people – in this chapter – are created early on, their task is clear: take care of the garden. The story tells us that God gets angry when Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the only thing God says not to eat. This seemingly benign affront to God’s command is enough to ruin everything, which has always seemed a bit over the top to me. The inquisitive couple is banished from the Garden, which is the same punishment given to Cain for committing murder! It is a remarkably illogical story; God punishes all of humanity (according to the Augustinian concept of Original Sin) for gaining the knowledge of right and wrong, which is something we all strive to teach to every generation.
This myth, of course, is written as an explanation for why we suffer and die, but it is also an indication of how humans believe God wants to be treated. God wants obedience, and we struggle to give God unquestioning fealty because God, in what might be a foolish mistake, gave us free will. Without free will, however, we cannot choose good over evil. We cannot decide to be kind rather than cruel. We cannot work towards justice instead of blindly blaming God for pain and suffering. I would say that the worst sin we can commit against God is to break the 3rd commandment, believing that everything happens because God controls it all. This is taking God’s name in vain, or misusing God’s name. We have agency. We have choice. To choose ourselves over God is a sin against God’s creation of free will. Without that freedom, we are nothing more than robots. God wants us to choose well, but that choice is completely up to us.
Prayer – Holy God, we yearn to please You in the choices we make. Thank You for that gift. Amen.
Today’s art is “The Right Decision” by Teal Swan.