CIVIL REVOLUTION: RIGHT AND WRONG - SINNER

Every person on this planet believes in right and wrong, whether we agree on using the term ‘sin’ or not. How do I know this? Because if I cross your ‘wrong’ threshold in my interactions with you, a warning light goes off in your head, signaling that an offense has occurred. In Christian terms, “When I sin against someone, I want them to accept me, forgive me, and let me off the hook, because that is what sinners want. However, when we or someone we love is sinned against, we cry out for justice because that is what victims want.”* Now, we don’t all agree on what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ For many, the concept of ‘sin’ is foreign or outdated. However, biblically speaking, a sinner is a person who fails to follow God’s prescribed ways in their thoughts, words, and/or actions. More often than not, this is visible in how we treat others. Everyone is guilty of such hurtful actions against their neighbors on the planet. No one receives a passing ‘grade.’**

When this happens (every day) in our lives, we need to stop and ask, “What worldview is truly guiding us at the present moment?” If our thoughts, words, and actions (or lack thereof) are not loving towards our neighbors, where is the disconnect occurring between what we say we believe and how we are living? Are we merely looking down on our neighbors from Mount Olympus, like Zeus, readying to hurl our lightning bolts at those we disagree with on any particular issue? If we’re not blessing others, what are we doing? In summary, if I fail to look at myself and others through these three lenses, I won’t think, speak, and act in a manner that brings shalom (peace) to the world. I will be responsible for some of the lack of civility and civil unrest that is rampant in the world today. May we all bear in mind:

If we fail to consider the category of “saint,” we will be tempted to focus entirely on the “not yet” aspect of people’s lives [how far people have to go to ‘get it right’ according to my worldview]…What happens if we ignore the category of “sufferer” in people we serve? We will be insensitive to the relational and circumstantial challenges people face. We will minimize sin committed against them and maximize sin they commit…Lastly, if we minimize the category of “sinner,” we water down the reality that people are responsive and responsible image bearers.***

We must resist the false dialogue that the only way we can exist happily together is if we always and only acknowledge everyone as exactly the same. Unity does not mean uniformity, and harmony requires us to work together in, with, and through our differences. As we move towards such unity in order to bring hope and healing, restoration and reconciliation, may we all learn to ask these three questions over and over:  

1. “What do I owe to the person who differs from me?” 

While we are not obligated to agree with that person, we do owe them love. As a result, we are to be good listeners, seeking to understand the person’s aims and asking whether there is anything valid in their position. 

2. “What can I learn from those who differ from me?” 

In recognition of their own fallibility, each interpreter should be prepared to learn that they are wrong and the other person is right. Seeking after truth is more important than winning discussions or protecting reputations. 

3. “How can I cope with those who differ from me?” 

Our goal is not to demolish our opponent but rather “to win him or her over to a new and, we trust, better understanding.”****


Video: 2018 MLK Tribute

 


Music: Lean on Me  


 

___________

*Mark Driscoll, Death by Love, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.

**“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

***Michael R. Emlet, CrossTalk, Canada: New Growth Press, 2009, 80

****Michelle Lee-Barnewall, Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian, Ada, MI: Baker Publishing House, 2016, Location 318 - Kindle

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