Reflections on The Season...
This lenten season has been more meaningul for me than in past years. I thinkit mostly has to do with the two congerations I am a part of here in KC. They follow the Church calender closely, and have done things in the liturgy ech week that remind us of the seriousness of the season. Fasting, silence, less "allelua's", etc.
This has really made me consider the sinfullness of my own life. I have gone through phases of my life in which I have felt more inclined to selfishness, lust, power (maybe as a teen it might have been called popularity) and the other fruits of sin. At other poins I have felt the transformation of the Spirit in my inner habituations and dispositions, and might say my experience was consonate with what John Wesley talked about in terms of "holiness".
"Is it possible for me to be sinless as an individual?"
I must respond to this as question, "NO! For you are not an individual." I am connected with others. I am not an individual, ex nihilo. How could I ever wash my hands of society, and claim I am separate, and redeemed by God to the extent of "Christian Perfection"? For that is what I would need to do. I would have to separate myself fromthe world, to be sinless.
I am so connected to others, and their sin. Do I buy clothes made in sweat shops? Do I buy food grown/picked by immigrents not recieving just wages? Do I abuse creation by consuming more than my share, and by causing massive amounts of toxic waste, gas fumes and cover God's creation with refuse? Do I aid my neighbors in need, around the world? Do I protect the innocent? Do I share the gifts I am given freely? ( I invite the reader to add questions)...
Things get complicated when others figure into the equation. Am I free of guilt? Do I become Amish so I am sure to not oppress others economically and abuse creation?
You can says, "Mr Wesley claimed that the holy are those with pure intentions, they will nothing but love of God, and love of neighbor". To that I say, "Yes, but how can I say I truly intend to do the good I know I ought?"
Wesley talked of "sins of omission" - not doing what we are responsible for as disciples. How do I know what I am responsible for? Do I intend to do all I can for others? What if I mistakenly think I am responsible for a certain group of neighbors in some other country, and inaiding them do not honor my father and mother, or I neglect my wife and kids, or they suffer? WHat if I am attempging to be a faithful husband and father, and it feels like I am neglecting the world around me?
Ah, the complexity of the situation. May I be pure of intention? Am I perpretuating a myth by thinking I might be free from sin? Am I ever free from the sins of others?
This has really made me consider the sinfullness of my own life. I have gone through phases of my life in which I have felt more inclined to selfishness, lust, power (maybe as a teen it might have been called popularity) and the other fruits of sin. At other poins I have felt the transformation of the Spirit in my inner habituations and dispositions, and might say my experience was consonate with what John Wesley talked about in terms of "holiness".
"Is it possible for me to be sinless as an individual?"
I must respond to this as question, "NO! For you are not an individual." I am connected with others. I am not an individual, ex nihilo. How could I ever wash my hands of society, and claim I am separate, and redeemed by God to the extent of "Christian Perfection"? For that is what I would need to do. I would have to separate myself fromthe world, to be sinless.
I am so connected to others, and their sin. Do I buy clothes made in sweat shops? Do I buy food grown/picked by immigrents not recieving just wages? Do I abuse creation by consuming more than my share, and by causing massive amounts of toxic waste, gas fumes and cover God's creation with refuse? Do I aid my neighbors in need, around the world? Do I protect the innocent? Do I share the gifts I am given freely? ( I invite the reader to add questions)...
Things get complicated when others figure into the equation. Am I free of guilt? Do I become Amish so I am sure to not oppress others economically and abuse creation?
You can says, "Mr Wesley claimed that the holy are those with pure intentions, they will nothing but love of God, and love of neighbor". To that I say, "Yes, but how can I say I truly intend to do the good I know I ought?"
Wesley talked of "sins of omission" - not doing what we are responsible for as disciples. How do I know what I am responsible for? Do I intend to do all I can for others? What if I mistakenly think I am responsible for a certain group of neighbors in some other country, and inaiding them do not honor my father and mother, or I neglect my wife and kids, or they suffer? WHat if I am attempging to be a faithful husband and father, and it feels like I am neglecting the world around me?
Ah, the complexity of the situation. May I be pure of intention? Am I perpretuating a myth by thinking I might be free from sin? Am I ever free from the sins of others?
posted by Thomas (Murphy) Bridges at 7:11 PM
2 Comments:
Thomas, some interesting thoughts. I love it! I just posted a blog on Lent myself. (erikwillitsblog.com) It will go up Wednesday. But i to have been faced with my humanity and incapability to do any good on my own this Lenten season.
Your thoughts were very good! I am always stirred when i begin to think about and talk about holiness and "perfection". I think the Christian perfection & holiness Wesley was talking about had more to do with motives, intentions, and obedience in every moment rather than a static state of perfection or holiness.
"Holiness is moment by moment"
John Wesley.
This lent i am reminded that i need the resurrected Jesus to fill me and empower me unto holiness and any kind of perfection. Easter is on it's way!!!
Shalom
~~Erik
"Am I ever free from the sins of others?" you ask.
I'm not saying I have the definative answer, but was Jesus ever free from the sins of others? (This is not a rhetorical question either).
I'm not saying this to lessen our sins of omission, because I definately feel acknowledging these ommitted sins is perhaps one of the most neglected aspects in the history of Christianity. But it seems that the only way one can totally escape the sins of others is through death. The only rational alternative I can see to dying is resisting sin will all possible means (and this does not entail becoming Amish and letting the world continue to rot, because sooner or later, if left unattended to, its rotting will spread to them too (it's hard to be Amish when the world's in a nuclear holocaust)).
As for loyalties of responsibility between family and everyone else, it's really difficult to draw a line, and I can't say a line even exists in the first place. Perhaps we should start trying to imagine what a family has to look like in the first place. Must they live in seperate housing units or have so many children when they can't take care of the ones already existing?
I guess I'll finish my unrehearsed reply saying just because we're never going to be free from the sins of others (at least in our lifetime) that does not mean we ever forfiet our resistance against their (and our) sin, or ever stop striving to imagine ways to distance ourselves from it or reverse the systems that perpetuate it.
---Peace,
Timothy Sommer
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