As Americans, we still live in the shadow of a “fire and brimstone” preaching legacy. Too many people associate God with a wagging finger, scolding us for being “naughty” and threatening us with Hell if we fail to behave.
It’s not as if I don’t believe in sin. The problem lies in the way we look at sin. When we hold up a “not-to-do” list of specific infractions, we’re fueling compliance with guilt and fear, and legitimizing the pronouncement of judgment on non-conformers.
No wonder the items on the “don’t” list swing like a pendulum from generation to generation. Black and white strictures – like “divorce is wrong” – wear down when no provision is made for “grey” situations.
It’s good when people rebel against unfair judgment, but too often they end up treating the people they challenge with the same broad brush they reacted against.
Humans fall into judgment mode easily. But is that the way God behaves?
Absolutely not! God doesn’t “lord” it over on us when we sin. As Franciscan priest Richard Rohr explains: “We’re not punished for our sins, but by them.”
In other words, God’s concern with “sin” revolves around how it hurts us.
The Great Physician prefers prescriptions to accusations. This ought to be the legacy of Christian preaching.
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