Sin: Separation from God and Others
Stassi Cramm, First Presidency
(Adapted from Exploring Community of Christ Basic Beliefs: A Commentary edited by Anthony J. Chvala-Smith, pp. 93-94. A Kindle version is available at www.HeraldHouse.org.)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. -John 14:27
I have taught the Basic Beliefs of Community of Christ in various settings. In almost every situation, the conversation in the class comes to a screeching halt when we get to the topic of sin. No one wants to talk about sin. I suppose in many ways, I don’t want to talk about sin and perhaps the class is simply reflecting my own discomfort.
To admit that I am sinful is to be willing to accept that I sometimes unintentionally, and yes, sometimes intentionally, hurt others or work against God’s purposes in the world. It also means admitting that I am part of larger systems that bring harm to others and the Earth. I know this to be true, but it is not something I want to linger on. And I don’t want to throw back the curtains and allow the light of day to shine on all my sinfulness with others watching. After all, maybe they haven’t figured out all my failings.
In some classes, people want to keep the discussion more abstract. They want to make a list of what is sinful. Some feel that we should have a Community of Christ vice list which we could all use to evaluate ourselves (and others) about our sinfulness. I know there are some absolutes that we can agree on that are sinful, but I suspect the more prevalent sins (or at least the ones more prevalent in my life) would not be universal.
What I’ve come to learn about sin is that talking about it is important. I need to be honest with myself and others about where I fall short of being the person God calls me to be. I also need to seek out others’ perspectives. I’ve learned that sometimes I can’t see my own sinfulness and I need trusted friends or family to be my mirror. Identifying my sinfulness is a necessary step in creating pathways for confession, repentance, and forgiveness. The same is true for communal sin. Only through honest conversations can we collectively identify and change systems that bring harm to others and the earth, thus drawing closer to God as a community.
I’ve also learned that sometimes I’m not ready to change nor am I ready for the world to change. I am prone to self-deception that I’m doing my best and the world is doing its best; but sin is present in my life and in the world. Honest conversations and growing understanding of “the other’s” experience motivate me to accept change.
I confess there is a gap between who I am and who God created me to be just as there is a gap in society. I am grateful for faithful disciples who are willing to honestly identify individual and collective sin and find ways to do better. I am also thankful for a God who generously extends grace while patiently guiding our transformation.
Prayer Phrase
“Practice Resurrection” (Wendell Berry).
Spiritual Practice
Breath Prayer
During this Easter season, we invite you daily into a breath prayer focused on resurrection. With each exhale, respond in a word or phrase to the question, “What is dying?” (fear, anger, assumptions, etc.) With each inhale, notice a response in a word or phrase to the question “What is rising?” (love, courage, trust, etc.) You may choose to use the same word or phrase throughout this season, or let each day bring its own unique response to this sacred pattern of dying and rising that is central to our faith.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
