Sin - A breaking of relationship

Minister Sharon McRann

Sin is anything that separates us from God. As I was taking my ministry training, I came to realize that one of my sins was fear. This was a huge incite for me and was the beginning of my transformation and journey to wholeness. I realized that if I live in fear, I am unable to live as God would have me live ... I am unable to be Christ’s body in the world. Fear is not only debilitating to the one who is fearful, it also affects ones relationship with others. When one is fearful, they are unable to serve others “boldly.” This revelation helped me to understand sin better. Before that I never felt that I was the big “sinner” that religion seemed to want us to believe and I wondered if there was something wrong with me for not feeling guiltier. Along with my understanding of fear as sin, I began to understand the meaning of corporate sin. I realized that we are all guilty of causing other’s pain in insipid ways. I continue to grow in the understanding of sin as a breaking of relationship with God and with fellow human beings. Many things can cause this ... fear, greed, anger, jealousy, maliciousness, prejudice, etc. The best resource I have found in explaining sin is Christian Doctrine by Shirley Guthrie. He explains that each of us is somehow separated from our inmost, truest self. He says that each person is a sinner and would do well to own it. Even though we are sinners, God loves us. Each of us is created in the image of God which means that we are, as Guthrie says, “To live for God in a relationship of thankful dependence and active obedience.” We are also to live in relationship with and for our fellow human beings. Guthrie tells us that we should take sin seriously, but not too seriously. The most important thing to remember is not that we are sinners but that we are created in God’s image. Thus we cannot live without God and without neighbour. Sin is not simply doing bad things, but it is also withholding one’s self from God and others. We are called to do whatever we do in love. Sin as disobedience is not only about the breaking of the Ten Commandments or being irreligious. It can also “take very pious, religious forms.” Often, people speak of “true family values,” which can only be experienced through a relationship sanctified by marriage. A common-law relationship or any relationship where two people are living together without being officially married is seen by many as a “sin.” However, according to Guthrie it seems that the sin is more likely to be determined by the quality of the relationship. Is it a respectful, healthy and loving relationship? If we all own the description “sinner,” then there would be less likelihood of certain people or religions bearing a “holier than thou” attitude towards those they deem as sinful. It might also decrease the inclination of some to prejudice, homophobia, sexism, classism, racism etc. We sin when we strive to be like God, or our imagined vision of what God is like. Passivity and self-denial are also a sin. When we (particularly women) allow others to tell us who we are and how we should be ... we sin. Lack of faith is also a sin ... we forget about the presence of God in our lives. Guthrie talks about “original sin” which he believes is derived from two truths: “Sin is universal and inevitable and every person is responsible for his/her own sinfulness.” This may be true but I prefer to think that we were all born as “original blessings,” and sin is the result of being alive in this world of people and relationships. People have all manner of concerns, and feelings of guilt, real and/or imagined. I think it’s important to help them understand that they are of worth, and loved by God ... that they are an “original blessing,” and that sin happens as a result of being alive in this world of many interactions. I think it’s important for every person to be able to work through their feelings of guilt and unrest and know that God loves them no matter what. I think that when people are able to forgive themselves and others, they come to a place of wholeness and salvation that leads to a loving and harmonious relationship with God.