12. Do you believe in Brooks’s assertions that humans are inherently flawed sinners? Does he put too much emphasis on that aspect of human nature? How much focus on our baser instincts is necessary to keep them in check?
Brooks oft-repeats the “crooked timber” view of humanity-that we are inherently flawed and must be ever on guard against sin.
I don’t believe in the concept of original sin, however I do believe that we are prone to sin. To committing acts ranging from unthoughtfulness to unkindness to cruelty that hurt ourselves, our fellows, and negatively impact our relationship with our Creator.
So, while I don’t believe we’re born stained, I do believe that we must be ever-vigilant against our own misdeeds of thought and action. That it is appropriate for us to seek forgiveness from those that we hurt, and from our Creator.
And while I’ve said before that the occasional sermon on sin doesn’t bother me, it also isn’t what I go to church for. It’s not the purpose of a worship service for me. And given that we are all human and prone to lapses in judgment, I think it sets a congregation up for problems to listen to just a few people rail about sin. It should be our internal voice that communicates to us about sin most of the time. A watchful voice, a contemplative voice, a voice that takes into account other voices, but for the most part, an internal voice.
When is a focus on sin too great? When it gets in the way of improvement. Of overcoming past misdeeds. When the guilt it imposes is paralyzing rather than a force that develops humility. Not humiliation, but humility.
It requires self-discipline. It requires us to trust one another to do the hard work of growth and self-improvement. And I’d argue that it is helpful to have a childhood and young adulthood rooted in moral development and self-discipline.
But I think there’s another key ingredient to growing up to be a moral person with a proper perspective on one’s own capacity for sin. And that’s love.
Let me tell you a short story.
My church buddy Marie was raised in a Catholic family. And a lot of people come away from Catholicism embittered. By the guilt. By the sermons about judgment and sin-whether the particular issue is homosexuality or abortion or something less personal. By the supposed omniscience of the Church. By the scandals.
But there’s something she’s told me several times about growing up in a Catholic family that has really stuck with me. She says that even when there were consequences for her actions, she never doubted that she was loved.
And she turned out to be a really great adult. Moral. Faithful. Kind. A good daughter. A good Christian. And very loving.
So that’s my last thought about sin. When is the focus on sin too great? When it prevents you from loving yourself and the people around you.
Plum Librarian LLC 