Day Seven - Shame

 

Expulsion of Adam and Eve
attrib. Pieter van der Werff (1665–1722)
National Trust, Erddig 

Listening to an 'In Our Time' discussion on Macbeth, I compared of the relationship between Adam and Eve and that of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.  I considered the shame Aden and Eve may have felt, given that they were in a community of three (with the Creator).  For most shame is a communal experience.  For the Macbeth's I felt that other forces probably swamped any feeling of shame, as they took their chariot at a charge into the castle moat (to coin an ancient metaphor). 

Shame is a very powerful mechanism of social control.  I am reminded of what Paul says in his letter to the Romans Chapter One.

I’m not ashamed of our message
For it is upright and true.
It has the power to transform lives, irrespective of background.
In the Jewish holy book it says
‘The righteous shall live trusting in what is true’.
Of course the Creator is angry when people do wicked shameful things.
Worse, they try to dress this up as ok.
They know what they are doing because we all have the Creator's nature within us.
They ignore the Creator, making up foolish ideas about their motivations.
This leads to concepts that are further and further from the truth.
With great authority they miss the point of life,
Settling on the created, rather than Creator.
So the Creator despairs and gives them freedom to follow their desires,
Even desire that degrades their bodies.
They follow their animal instincts, suffering the consequence.

PRAYER:  Every morning we look to you our Lord, to fill us with grace and truth.  May we never be ashamed to be members of your family.