Optional Memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin

Lectionary: 331

From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

As we have recently opened the Book of Genesis and reflected on our being created "in the image and likeness of God," and as we come to the Lord's grim statement about the source of evil, I return to a passage I cite occasionally from Reinhold Niebuhr's book, The Nature and Destiny of Man: 

The high estimate of the human stature implied in the concept of "image of God" stands in paradoxical juxtaposition to the low estimate of human virtue in Christian thought. Man is a sinner. His sin is defined as rebellion against God. 

The Christian estimate of human evil is so serious precisely because it places evil at the very center of human personality: in the will. This evil cannot be regarded complacently as the inevitable consequence of his finiteness or the fruit of his involvement in the contingencies and necessities of nature. 

Sin is occasioned precisely by the fact that man refuses to admit his "creatureliness" and to acknowledge himself as merely a member of a total unity of life. He pretends to be more than he is. Nor can he... dismiss his sins as residing in that part of himself which is not his true self; that is, that part of himself which is involved in physical necessity. 

In Christianity it is not the eternal man who judges the finite man; but the Eternal and Holy God who judges sinful man. Nor is redemption in the power of the eternal man who gradually sloughs off finite man. Man is not divided against himself so that the essential man can be extricated from the non-essential. Man contradicts himself within the terms of his true essence. His essence is free self-determination. His sin is the wrong use of his freedom and his consequent destruction. The Nature and Destiny of Man. Reinhold Niebuhr (1941) ISBN 0-02-387510-0

When I presented that passage to a counselor several years ago, she saw it as deeply pessimistic and unfaithful to her rationalistic worldview. She regarded evil as a form of mental illness which might be cured with appropriate therapy. The idea that evil is chosen by one who has a choice challenged her sanguine view of human beings. 

I think it accurately reflects Jesus's blunt teaching. If I don't see evil thoughts, lust, theft, adultery, greed, malice, deceit and so forth in my heart, they may be there nonetheless. And if a counselor, confessor, or friend sees and courageously points them out, I may yet decide to keep these dark treasures. As we have seen in our national politics the last few years, no amount of accurate knowledge can overturn an unwilling person's convictions; nor will it persuade them to do the right thing. The heart decides for reasons entirely its own. 

And that is why we must choose a spirituality which knows our potential for evil and can direct us toward integrity and purity. Our Catholic tradition, heir to the Jewish tradition, openly declares, "We have sinned like our ancestors; we have done wrong and are guilty." 

We can offer no excuse or reason or extenuating circumstances for our wrongdoing. It was not a mistake or an accident. "I knew it was wrong and I did it anyway." Or, "I knew where this was going and I chose to go there." And, more than likely, what I have done is typical of me. This was not an anomaly; I learned it from my ancestors.

King David said it very well, "For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes." (Psalm 51)

Admitting one's sin without excuse or explanation is an act of surrender. It cedes the choice of mercy to the One who has said He is merciful. But it does not presume on his mercy. God is not a soda machine to dispense gracious goodies when one expresses the right words, gestures, or attitude. 

We are assured by the Lord who has the authority of life and death that those who admit their "creatureliness" and acknowledge themselves as merely members of a total unity of life, who do not pretend to be more than they are and turn to God with humility find more than forgiveness. They find compassion, healing, and deep understanding. Forgiven, they enjoy the freedom of forgiving others.