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| Our Lady of Peace Retreat House in Beaverton, Oregon |
How often must we come back to Saint Paul's astonishing declaration? It is the very foundation of our Christian confidence. Without the innocence which Jesus Christ has given to us, our lives are null and void; our efforts toward virtue and righteousness have no meaning.
To fully comprehend his creedal statement, I remind myself often, "There is no excuse for sin." I was most impressed by this truth after reading Rabbi Heschl's The Prophets. The Hebrew prophets saw clearly the crimes of their compatriots in Judah and Israel. They saw widows and orphans begging; they saw the poor swindled of what little they had; they saw the rich and powerful buying judges and rigging courts. These were not petty crimes; these were violations of blood that cried to heaven for vengeance.
The prophets insisted that if we but trust in God we will not sin. We will care for the needy and the helpless. There will be no aliens among us for all will be welcome. If we do not sin we will certainly enjoy God's protection and God's blessings of abundance. But because we do not trust in God and his Providential authority to care for us, we cheat one another. There is no excuse for it.
But, Saint Paul tells us, "...there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." We have only to abandon our excuses and turn to him.
Among ourselves, we sometimes forgive one another if the excuses are good enough. The offending party tells a story which is persuasive and I think, "In the same situation, I would probably do the same thing." Or, "Perhaps the fault is partially my own; I can forgive his part." We might be willing to "walk a mile in his shoes" and write off our losses.
But even among human beings there are inexcusable sins. Marital infidelity cannot be excused. No matter how the offending spouse argues, he or she cannot construct a story that "explains" sinful behavior. Murder, rape and the theft of huge amounts of money are inexcusable, even when, for some reason, our imperfect legal system cannot condemn them. Sociological arguments might spread the guilt around to the entire society; they might show how the crime fits the cultural environment of sin and enjoys a certain "inevitability." They might vindicate the offender in the eyes of society; but they cannot excuse evil.
Before God's tribunal all sins are known and understood and they are nonetheless inexcusable. If we had trusted in God we would not have committed them.
But -- and this is what I am getting at -- our excuses only frustrate God's mercy. If I go to confession and present my case to the priest for why I had to do these wrongful things, he might ask, "Do you want me to excuse you or to forgive you? I can do either but I can't do both!"
Confronted with such a choice, I must abandon all explanations, alibis, situations, stories and scenarios and say, "I have sinned. I have no excuse. I didn't have to; I chose to. Please forgive me -- once again."
Having said these words we will hear once again, "Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.