Talking about Sin

Post date: May 11, 2020 6:54:29 PM

It can be hard to talk about our relation to sin/brokenness because it is complicated by many factors (and likely carry various degrees of guilt).

• • we may not understand it or be aware enough of others to empathize with how they experience some action of our own (e.g. not aware that I hurt someone)

  • we may not have made a conscious choice (that is, we are not aware of violating our conscience),

  • we may be psychologically incapable of dealing with it (c.f. various psychological coping mechanisms for trauma)

  • we can be victims of sin (sinned against) through no fault of our own, but then be "stuck" in psychological patterns that perpetuate problems for ourselves or others

  • we can be conditioned in various ways (thoughts, habits, perspectives, relationships) by sinful social, cultural, institutional, or ideological structures that we take for granted as "normal" or don't understand

  • in the case of structural injustices, we can be guilty insofar as we benefit or participate (in the case of privilege, for example), even though somewhat removed causally from acts of direct oppression

  • some may see "sin" only as very bad things (Hitler was a sinner) and not accept sinfulness as a state describing themselves

  • our motivations can vary widely for our sins, everything from lazy failure to do the right thing to active pursuit of harm for others

  • we frequently self-justify or rationalize our sins, with some self-interested reason for doing so

Here are some ways to talk about this participation in a sinful world (which is often real sin, in the sense that we advance it or at least participate in believing a lie).

• • stuck in something broken

  • victim of

  • settle for

  • adjusted to

  • cling to

  • participate in

  • benefit from