Sinful Thoughts, 1.0: A Relational Rupture
A few weeks ago I spoke with a woman who was in tears. She was telling me about deep wounds in her heart given to her by someone who is very close to her. This person had injured her emotionally and spiritually in all sorts of ways most of her life.
The more she spoke, the more the tears rolled. What began as watery eyes gave way to painful tears. As each tear made their way down her cheeks, they told a story of abuse and betrayal. Sitting with her, listening to her, it was more than apparent. Where there was once a relationship there was now a tear. It was a tangled mess of what used to be a united heart and soul.
This is what sin does and what sin is. Sin, in the simplest of terms, is a ruptured relationship. It can take on almost any form, but ultimately it results in pain, loss, damage, hurt, mistrust, and the list could go on. What is so difficult about sin, this rupture in relationship, is that it damages what was once put together. It is messy and painful and initially very difficult to sort out.
Like an eruption, a rupture (both having their roots in the same word) causes a frayed disorder wherever it occurs. As soon as it happens there is some level of chaos. Nothing is as it was, and nothing will ever be as it will be.
A rupture, is in contrast, to a precise cut. A cut has clean, even lines. One can see where it begins and ends. But sin is not a clean cut. It is a tear in the fabric of human relationships – relationships with one another and relationship with God. Fibers that were once together seem to hang out from everywhere.
When it comes to sin, one thing is certain. It is messy. When we try to make it an open and shut thing we run the risk of ignoring both the perpetrator (sinner) and the victim (the one sinned against). We can try any number of things to make it better – behavior modification, glib answers, cheap apologies, expecting immediate forgiveness, and all sorts of assumptions that never bring true healing to the tear.
Sitting with that woman hearing of her pain, reminded me that sin is not neat, tidy, and ordered. With this in mind, we need to think together in what ways we attempt to make it cleaner than it really is.