First I rationalize and say that it wasn\u2019t really so bad. It wasn\u2019t really a sin. It was okay. I \u00a0make up all sorts of reasons why the bad thing I did was not really bad. Second: I blame other people. I do this in three ways. First I say, \u201cHe did it too.\u201d Second, I deny that I did it and place all the blame on the other person. Third, I might have done it, but the other person made me do it.<\/p>\n
Everybody can understand this explanation of sin and the resulting actions which complicate and compound the sin. It\u2019s there in the Garden of Eden story.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam did you eat of the tree?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did too. Eve made me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEve??\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe serpent made me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is the downward spiral of sin. Mankind is wrapped up in this total syndrome of blaming others. This is the core of sin and the default setting. This explains what we mean by original sin\u2013that not only do we sin, but we rationalize it away and blame others. Furthermore, this shifting of blame ends up in scapegoating and sacrifice. If the other person is to blame for the sin (and the suffering that comes from sin) then that person must be expelled, excluded and eventually destroyed.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the really sick part: when a person or a group do exclude and destroy, they feel good about it. They feel vindicated. They get a surge of good feeling about themselves. The enemy has been destroyed. The person causing the problems has been eliminated. We\u2019re good to go! We\u2019re good people after all! That bad person has been destroyed and the badness with him!<\/p>\n
It gets worse: that surge of elation and power that comes from destroying the innocent one is like the false high of a drug. Consequently, the person or the group need within a short time to do it again in order to continue to feel good. Therefore they will continue to find an enemy\u2013another person or another group to first blame, then exclude, then destroy.<\/p>\n
Jesus comes into the midst of this and breaks the cycle. He does so by being the first person who has the authority (because he\u2019s God) to accept the blame. He says to the whole human race who are busy shifting the blame\u2013\u201cYou want to shift the blame? OK. I\u2019ll take it. Go ahead and shift it over to me. You want to destroy someone and make yourself feel good? OK. Destroy me.\u201d By accepting this blame and dying he destroys the cycle of sin. By embracing the blame he smothers it with love. By taking the responsibility for humanity\u2019s murderous, twisted nature he replaces it with Life\u2013with beauty, truth and goodness.<\/p>\n
Suddenly these religious phrases are filled with deeper meaning. \u201cJesus died to save us from our sins.\u201d I get it. Not just me and the naughty things I\u2019ve done, but he delivers the whole of humanity (including me if I accept it) from the cycle of blame and destruction. He did this by shedding blood because bloodshed was required by those who were intent on destroying the enemy. So the idea that \u201chis blood washes away sin\u201d begins to make sense.<\/p>\n
And that is why we call this Friday \u201cGood\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
First I rationalize and say that it wasn\u2019t really so bad. It wasn\u2019t really a sin. It was okay. I \u00a0make up all sorts of reasons why the bad thing I did was not really bad. Second: I blame other people. I do this in three ways. First I say, \u201cHe did it too.\u201d Second, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11688","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n