Subject:  SJ: Bible, the Straight-Jacket |
Author:
Eugene
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Date Posted: 21:30:10 01/18/03 Sat
Sin, like a layer of barrier, isolates our God created image from God and from each other. As a result, we can only see the outward behavior of others and ourselves -- a distorted view of who we really ARE. And this sin layer is organic -- it grows and defies all our efforts to break through. As a result, the more we observe human beings (others and ourselves), we get more disillusioned about even just the possibility of the goodness of human beings.
To some Christians, this sin-stained appearance is so unsightly to them that they become too discouraged to look for the deep, God image within us -- at least not in this lifetime. They seek, therefore, to just keep the behavior under control so that we do not get in too much bad trouble in this life. Bible, then, becomes a moral straight-jacket that keeps us in line. When you think about it, a lot of times the teachings about Scriptures make you feel like God is on a long vacation away from our world, and He only leaves us with some do's and don'ts instructions in the Bible until He comes back to deal with us.
The problem of trying control the behavior from outside is like wrapping duct tapes over and over the human being. At the same time when our sinfulness is contained inside the outer shell, our God given nature is also bound up deep within. Worse yet, since the sin layer is organic, it keeps growing and the results are:
(1) A lot of times, our moral wrapping can not withstand the expansion of the growth of sin and it bursts at the seams. The added pressure of the behavior jacket sometimes makes the out of control outbursts of some Christians even more violent and harmful to selves and others.
(2) Even if the containment is more or less working, sin still presses inward as it grows and often crush our spirit. We don't see and can not be sure of the existence of God image within ourselves anymore. We can't respect others because everyone appears to be so disgusting in our eyes. We can't love ourselves because we are more critical towards ourselves more than towards anyone else, and throw the book (Bible?) at ourselves more than at anyone else. Most devastating of all, we no longer see God.... Yes, He does on occasions show up at the scene to provide for some of our desperate needs and to resolve our moral dilema, so that we still have to say that God works. Yet for the most of our lifetime, He is far away (at least silent). The only good thing in life, really, is that one day we will die and go to heaven (a place where others, ourselves and God will just leave us alone finally?).
I have to say that no little boy or girl has made up his/her own mind that, when they grow up, they want to be messed up, disheartened, bitter, judgmental, harsh and depressed. But a lot of times Christians give other these very impressions, or you may even be able to call them Christian stereotypes. (And you wonder why it is so hard to spread the good news of Christ.) I don't believe these Christians are indulging in evil or wickedness, but they are also captives that need to be set free by Christ's love.
Remember, for each venomous person that seems to simply hate others, he/she hates him/herself at least twice as much deep within. Do not resent them, but do all things according to God's mercy.
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