sin and mercy...oh know, serious subject
Today we had a wonderful discussion of sin and mercy. Two phrases really stuck out in my mind. The first is the feeling that sin stares us in the face. The second is the idea is the (hopeful) return from exile after we sin. These help create a good image in my mind, but like many others I find a need to conjure up my own.
I picture two points in space, one is God and one is myself. Funny how we always like to say that God is IN everything and everyone, but I suppose when thinking of sin I must separate my actions from God (this is a conversation all in itself). So it goes. I stand on a pathway, bottomless pits on either side. I have the choice of facing God or turning away (I guess it is not difficult to figure out where this is going). Moving towards God is doing what is right and making good decisions, whatever those may be. Moving away from God is sin. Fairly simple picture.
But there is some interesting structure to this image. As we move away from God the path becomes narrower. It naturally follows that as we move towards God the path becomes wider. This is interesting for a number of reasons. The first is that this structure implies that it is easier or more simple to move towards God (in the least it should be more desirous). Not only that but as we move towards God it should become easier and easier (this reminds me of calculus, rates of change, derivatives, etc...God must be in calculus). But is this our experience? In reality it often seems easier to sin and "Godwork" can be hard.
Thinking of Dante helps me out here. We must remember his upward movement through purgatory. Going up a mountain is not easy, it is definitely hard work, often times leaving us exhausted. This is the representation of battling sin, of not always doing what is easy and often times wrong, but instead doing what is right. But remember what happens as Dante faces the respective sins on each level of the mountain. After he understands each sin and in a sense repents, he is made lighter each time. Going up the mountain is hard, but as he gets closer to God it becomes easier and easier, until finally Dante becomes weightless. Well, the idea is the same with the path and the pit. Moving towards God is not always the easiest choice, but as we do get closer the path becomes wider and we see more puppy dogs and ice cream.
The other interesting idea is this. As we move away from God the path becomes narrower. It follows that if we sin long and bad enough the path will eventually become so narrow and small that it occupies a single point in space (I know a point has no dimensions, but for the sake of the image please work with me). For me this is why the idea of sin staring us in the face is so dramatic. When we sin we are moving to that one point in space, that evil eye that is so terrifying. It is so small and so empty of God. And when it looks at us we are completely naked, stripped to the soul. But in a way that in not beautiful, only ugly and crippled. That is hell, that is Satan.
So where does mercy and justice come in? Following from the structure so far created, justice is the natural feeling of sorrow and angst as we move away from God. It is built into the the bad and wrong decisions that we make. Simply stated, as we sin we will move ourselves further and further away from God. Mercy is the idea that when we turn toward God, God is always waiting, ready to accept us. God will be there for eternity, open arms forever. We also see mercy in the path that widens, making the path easier as we go. There is support as we get closer, there is a natual incentive to move towards God.
One more idea. How does this relate to the Center? Well, for me I suppose God is the ultimate example, the most intimate identification being the person and life of Jesus Christ. Following His lead I need to always have open arms. I must always be here ready to help, do what is necessary to guide the men from the suffocating experience of homelessness to the puppy dogs and bubble gum of independence and self-sufficiency (of course it is not this simplified and easy, but once again for the sake of the image). Justice is the idea that the guys must always be allowed to make their own decisions, which will often times lead them into despair. It is not my duty to make the decisions for them, and in fact the only way in which the guys can make any progress, to move towards God if you will, is to let them make their own choice, to do it themselves. So it goes.
I picture two points in space, one is God and one is myself. Funny how we always like to say that God is IN everything and everyone, but I suppose when thinking of sin I must separate my actions from God (this is a conversation all in itself). So it goes. I stand on a pathway, bottomless pits on either side. I have the choice of facing God or turning away (I guess it is not difficult to figure out where this is going). Moving towards God is doing what is right and making good decisions, whatever those may be. Moving away from God is sin. Fairly simple picture.
But there is some interesting structure to this image. As we move away from God the path becomes narrower. It naturally follows that as we move towards God the path becomes wider. This is interesting for a number of reasons. The first is that this structure implies that it is easier or more simple to move towards God (in the least it should be more desirous). Not only that but as we move towards God it should become easier and easier (this reminds me of calculus, rates of change, derivatives, etc...God must be in calculus). But is this our experience? In reality it often seems easier to sin and "Godwork" can be hard.
Thinking of Dante helps me out here. We must remember his upward movement through purgatory. Going up a mountain is not easy, it is definitely hard work, often times leaving us exhausted. This is the representation of battling sin, of not always doing what is easy and often times wrong, but instead doing what is right. But remember what happens as Dante faces the respective sins on each level of the mountain. After he understands each sin and in a sense repents, he is made lighter each time. Going up the mountain is hard, but as he gets closer to God it becomes easier and easier, until finally Dante becomes weightless. Well, the idea is the same with the path and the pit. Moving towards God is not always the easiest choice, but as we do get closer the path becomes wider and we see more puppy dogs and ice cream.
The other interesting idea is this. As we move away from God the path becomes narrower. It follows that if we sin long and bad enough the path will eventually become so narrow and small that it occupies a single point in space (I know a point has no dimensions, but for the sake of the image please work with me). For me this is why the idea of sin staring us in the face is so dramatic. When we sin we are moving to that one point in space, that evil eye that is so terrifying. It is so small and so empty of God. And when it looks at us we are completely naked, stripped to the soul. But in a way that in not beautiful, only ugly and crippled. That is hell, that is Satan.
So where does mercy and justice come in? Following from the structure so far created, justice is the natural feeling of sorrow and angst as we move away from God. It is built into the the bad and wrong decisions that we make. Simply stated, as we sin we will move ourselves further and further away from God. Mercy is the idea that when we turn toward God, God is always waiting, ready to accept us. God will be there for eternity, open arms forever. We also see mercy in the path that widens, making the path easier as we go. There is support as we get closer, there is a natual incentive to move towards God.
One more idea. How does this relate to the Center? Well, for me I suppose God is the ultimate example, the most intimate identification being the person and life of Jesus Christ. Following His lead I need to always have open arms. I must always be here ready to help, do what is necessary to guide the men from the suffocating experience of homelessness to the puppy dogs and bubble gum of independence and self-sufficiency (of course it is not this simplified and easy, but once again for the sake of the image). Justice is the idea that the guys must always be allowed to make their own decisions, which will often times lead them into despair. It is not my duty to make the decisions for them, and in fact the only way in which the guys can make any progress, to move towards God if you will, is to let them make their own choice, to do it themselves. So it goes.
posted by Ryan at 9:51 AM
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