[I wrote this a few years ago. It wouldn't be identical if I wrote it today, but I still find it interesting. Hope you do, too!]
Coming to understand my place in the world has caused me to completely reconsider my understanding of sin. Recognizing myself as a frequent oppressor of others--whether consciously or unconsciously, individually or corporately, personally or through social structures, intentionally or unintentionally--I have come to realize that avoiding sin is pretty much impossible. Depending on your theology, one of two conclusions will be the logical result of the insights I am about to share. Either one will take this message to further demonstrate our constant dependence on Jesus' payment for our sins and lead a more relaxed Christian life that does not consider it possible to never be guilty of sin ever again (this belief leads many to modern aesthetic practices and is burdensome on us all, especially when it is politicized). Or one will conclude that a personal relationship with Jesus is a poor and illogical solution for a crime that is both individual and corporate. One may futher conclude that judging people as individuals, rather than as social groups, and sending individuals to heaven or hell is fundamentally unfair. I have not thought down these paths yet. Neither am I steering one direction or the other. I simply want to share how understanding my social identity and status has broadened and deepened my understanding of many concepts, including sin and the intractiblility of our dependence on God for forgiveness.Before I fully understood and considered my social identity, I basically boiled sin down to dichotomous, individualized actions and decisions. Each option presented to me was essentially a choice between doing what God wanted (e.g. telling the truth) or sinning against God (e.g. lying). Regardless of where one stands on the doctrine of original or imputed sin, after salvation, sin is generally understood to be an individualized choice.
But now I think of things differently. I know that I daily actively oppress and/or benefit from being a member of a group that is oppressing others. For instance, I know that my ability to attend graduate school inexpensively is dependent upon Texas A&M University and the state of Texas deciding to financially exploit custodians and other low-wage workers at the institution. I know that the relatively low gas prices I enjoy as an American are due to the American government using its military and financial might to pressure and exploit people in oil-producing countries. I know that, as a man, I participate in and/or fail to stop sexist activities (including joking and objectifying women as sexual objects rather than whole human beings). In so doing, I help to create the social climate we have now. One in which most women experience sexual harassment at some point in their lives. If memory serves, over 20% of American women have experienced some sort of sexual assault, including rape. I am at least partially responsible for that.
These are just a few examples. Just because I don't have the nuclear codes, doesn't mean I'm not responsible for my government's oppression of people around the globe. We all know very well that if the US engaged in fairer military and economic practices and the American economy suffered, the great majority of us would vote for candidates who would restore "the good old days." We would pretend not to know how they did it.
As an active participant, passive (or intentional) beneficiary, and structural party to the oppression and exploitation of countless others, I am constantly in a state of sin from which I cannot and do not extricate myself. No amount of physical, mental, or spiritual self-chastisement will free me from some exploitative relationship to others. And even if I could find a way to have no structural or relational exploitative power over any single other person on the globe, I would not do it. Sin has its enjoyable season.
I never knew how much I was asking God to forgive when I asked God to remove my sins from me and impune them to Christ Jesus. I cannot imagine how much sin of mine God is constantly forgiving (or storing up, if God is judgemental and Christianity is untrue). It's frightening and humbling all at once. For me, it is a beginning to understanding grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the character and omnipotence of God. Forgiveness of this magnitude is far more impressive to me than any of the miracles mentioned in Scripture. No human can even imagine giving that kind of grace.
This is by no means an excuse for our sinful actions or for not trying to end oppression of all kinds, everywhere, regardless of the sacrifice.
It is actually an attempt to bring these kinds of sins to our attention and to bring glory to God for God's mercy, grace, and love.
Interesting. I wonder what parts of this might be different today, so I wouldn't spend a ton of time debating the topic. However, the line that strikes me is:
ReplyDelete"And even if I could find a way to have no structural or relational exploitative power over any single other person on the globe, I would not do it. Sin has its enjoyable season."
Meaning, you've chosen the former of your 'logical conclusions'. I know you, and I know that you know that there is absolutely a way to remove yourself from the model as it is today; the questions is your motive. The alcoholic who receives the eye-opening grace of salvation but still esteems the bottle as his highest priority might rationalize his continued trips to the bar by saying "if I don't reach out to these other sinners at the bar, who will?". If he esteems Christ as superior, he understands the need to avoid sin and seek the soveriegn plan of God through divine intervention.
So, if you hold your place in life and the degree you earned and the job you have and your hobbies and interests and man-made plans for changing the world as your highest priority, then I agree; you will perpetuate that which you hate and may take one of the two logical roads you mentioned. Option 3, then, would be to follow your convictions towards Christ like change and to live more relaxed in the sovereignty of God, but not licentiously.
Since you wrote this comment, Anonymous, I have thought about it regularly. First, let me thank you for reading and leaving a comment. Second, I want to be clear. I am not arguing for or even claiming my own licentiousness. What I am clumsily attempting is rather to say that I am in the same boat as everyone else. I would like to think that I would be willing to pay any costs for universal social justice...but I doubt I have the strength. Even now, with so many loved ones struggling financially, I am desperate for a better economy for them all, although I know their improved condition comes at the expense of others' oppression.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Christ asks us to consider all our neighbors--seen and unseen, local and global. The larger view, I believe, helps us all recognize the need for God's grace to do anything even remotely reflecting God's character and will.
Well said. And thank you, also, for causing me to think on it more and realize how much we are indeed in the same boat. It must be a pretty big boat.
ReplyDeleteHere's an interesting question...if we get credit for all the "sin" we indirectly participate in (which is debatable in my mind), does God also credit the indirect "good" we partake in?
ReplyDeleteA quick example...In terms of our nation, remember that America is among the top, if not, THE top of the foreign aid provider list--financially, and humanitarian aid wise (and provide the largest spread of the gospel).
In fact, if you were to judge our overall good versus evil scale, it would be a tough debate for either side. Just in our defense department alone, we've oppressed people in some cases, and arguably saved most of the world from oppression in many other cases. So who knows, the net result might even be a wash with regard to the individual.
Of course, this question has no bearing on grace. But, it might help serve as an encouragement that you're indirectly part of some great things, too!