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Monday, May 09, 2005
Alipio: The meaning of sin
By Fr. Jose Alipio
MOST of us have a very "moralistic" notion of the meaning of sin. For us, sin is some conscious transgression against the laws of God. Lying and stealing, murdering and cheating, cursing and swearing, lusting and envying are sins. They are rebellious actions that separate us from God and alienate us from others.
Conversely, if we steer clear of these kinds of actions, we feel relatively free of sin. Our conscience is clear if we avoid such violations of the laws of God. There certainly is some truth in this view of sin. The Bible clearly speaks of sin as "missing the mark" - as falling short of the kind of life that God requires of us. But these familiar sinful acts do not tell the whole story of sin. The meaning of sin is not exhausted by such violations of the moral laws of God.
Jesus suggested a much wider and deeper notion of sin in his encounter with the paralytic whose friends literally raised the roof to get him to Jesus. Seeing their great love for a friend and their great faith in God, Jesus said to the lame man: "My friend, your sins are forgiven you." The religious experts who were looking on were outraged by his behavior. Who did he think he was forgiving the man's sins? And what did that have to do with healing anyway? But Jesus explained that forgiving sins and healing illness are two sides of the same coin. What God wants for his children is wholeness! Nothing more nor nothing less that wholeness. The word "sin" refers to any condition of brokenness - physical and spiritual, mental and moral. By the same token, salvation means the restoration of all human brokenness.
(May 9, 2005 issue)
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