"...Through Ignorance, Through Weakness and Through our Own Deliberate Fault...."
We start with what is 'Sin'? and why do we need to be 'Saved'? and what are we saved from?
Francis Spufford, in his book "Unapologetic: Why, despite everything, Christianity can still make surprising emotional sense," invents a new word for sin. He calls is "hptftu", or the Human propensity to fu*k things up. In his book, Spufford describes why he believes in Jesus, despite being surrounded by a sea of dissenters.
For me 'sin' can be understood by our contemporary western neighbours through these three characteristics; Ignorance, Weakness and our Deliberate Fault.
Ridley sees this in terms of 'lostness'. He highlights the stories Jesus tells of the lost; the lost sheep (sin of ignorance), the lost coin (the sin of weakness) and the lost prodigal son (sin caused by our own volition). In our modern times we can see this clearly through our decent into climate chaos, though the terrible suffering of the poor across the world, and through the suffering caused by wars in plain sight (Afghanistan, Syria and The Ukraine). We are lost, and we need a saviour. But who will save us?
It becomes apparent that despite our modern prophets (such as Greta Thunberg), we do not have the strength to resist the comforts and ease of our privileges. Poorer countries speak of the need for reparation. This is based on the ethical model of 'insurance'. Just as in a car crash, the one who is responsible pays through 'insurance', it is argued that the richer polluting countries should pay for the mess created in poorer countries. But will this happen?
Our Saviour does more than deal with the material mess. The key disasters are multiple broken relationships. The first is with the Creator. The world sees this as with 'creation', but it's actually with the Creator. Although there is no magic here (ie the Creator does not reverse global warming for us), we are now in touch with the one who understands what's going on completely. We have confidence that we are not alone. Just as in Jesus' day, the people hoped Jesus would deliver them for physical oppression, today Jesus saves us from a spiritual disaster. The physical mess is of our own making, and we must deal with it.
But Jewish history is set within eastern culture and tradition. In the West we focus on individual responsibility. The parables mentioned above focus on individuals. However, the Jewish system of sacrifice was based mercy to 'all people'. The sin we are saved from is not just for what I do, it is also what our community does. We need salvation from the sin associated with grinding poverty and climate destruction. These is part of our modern liturgy.
Many people have called out to the Creator and felt that there was no response. Nothing. In my view we as humans have decided what we think the Creator should do. When the Creator does not do what we think the Creator should do, we become disheartened. We assume that we are on our own, and if there is a creative force, it certainly does not have a heart.
There is a catch 22 here. Because I know the Creator , and we have a relationship, I am on the 'inside'. I liken this to being part of an Oxford college. Outsiders can look in. They can try to understand what goes on in those hallowed portals. They can imagine what it might be like to be part of college. But as an outsider, they will never truly know.
Without the relationship, the Creator will feel distant. This is a very human experience.
The Bible.
It is a fascinating thought that St Paul was using a recent Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures that to contemporary eyes is not as good as it could have been. So we have Paul working with an imperfect text. As Ridley points out, imperfection is woven into the fabric of society. The idea is that the good and productive harvest is mixed with 'tares', fake and worthless frauds. Jesus makes it clear that it is not for us to make the judgement call about what is genuine and what is a 'tare'. The creator will do this. This is a liberating thought because if it is true that this world has already supported 117 billion people, the Creator is the one to decide issues to do with salvation.
And what are we being saved from? Well that will be from 'death'. Death is the end. But death is not just what might happen (or not happen) after life. It is also about 'life' now. The salvation we look to is about how to live life to the full right now. The longer the clock ticks without it, the more the potential life has to offer is spurned.
Our challenge is that just as a broken relationship creates pain and despair, our separation from the creator is not a great way to live. The brokenness of this relationship is both personal, and social. The whole community suffers, just like it might if ruled by a tyrant.
So from the very start, 'Tares' have been part of our world. Like virus', they serve a function, with all manner of consequences, some benign, some destructive and some deceitful. It is helpful to accept the paradoxes around us. We are presented with the challenge of finding the good and wholesome 'fruit' in amongst the dross. What is it that points to the presence of the Creator, to Jesus; as in the children's party game, that calls out 'warmer, warmer, hotter'.
As the 2021 census results from the UK begin to be published, we discover that those who call themselves Christian in these nations have fallen to 46.2%.
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| Density map of people profession to be Christian in the UK (Wikipedia) |
Beware the Buttresses
The picture that comes to me is of a dartboard. The bullseye is our relationship with Jesus. Around the bullseye are high scoring areas, but not nearly as good as the bullseye. These are the slight 'mistruths', the buttresses. I wonder what are the many buttresses used across our modern society?
I have used Ridley's categories.
The Chosen - "I know that what I believe may not be completely accurate, but It's probably more accurate that what most people believe."
Faith - "I believe in positive values. I believe in clearing my mind- being still - being open to the world."
Good Works - "I am essentially an 'OK' person. I'm good (more good than bad)."
Wonderful Experiences - "I experience the excitement and joy of life. I travel. I still my mind. I connect with the universe."
Sacraments - What are modern day secular sacraments? They are the things that affirm our beliefs as a society and draw us together. In recent years Remembrance Sunday has been day where people of all faiths and none are united around an unspoken principle. We have other sacraments such as honouring the dead at the spot where they died. I am thinking of a memorial I recently saw on the fencing in the middle of the North Circular road in London. There are many other sacraments of the modern age, that fill the gaps left by traditional religion.
Success - Who judges success? I think of my in-laws who soldiered away in a church in the west end of Newcastle for many years. It was hard going with a small group of eccentric believers. Shortly after they left the parish, the church was closed. Was what they did of any value? Only the one who they dedicated all this work to will know.
I agree this Ridley as he ends his book by raising up Jesus. But this is not a 'Jesus' of our own creation. This is not the theologically explored 'Jesus'.
Jesus is the human division of the Creator's enterprise. It is the presence with peoples across the earth and across all time. This is the presence with the Mongolian people who crossed over the Aleutian Islands into the Americas perhaps 36,000 years ago. It is the presence with the largest peaceful human gathering of people on earth at the Kumbh Mela. It is the presence with the people deep in the Congo basin who live under the repression of others. In all these situations it is not a passive benign present. It the the presence of hope, goodness, purity and joy. It is the presence that opposes the forces of control, destruction and degradation.
We are the fortunate few who have been given a structure from which to understand this story, and make sense of it. Even with this story we still have room to write many books to reflect, explore and encourage.
For me the most helpful analogy for getting it right with Jesus is 'Marriage'. I can be married. I have the certificate and photos. I have faith that I am loved. I see what my partner does to remind me of their love. We have rituals that reinforce our commitment, such as anniversary meals and gifts.
All these things are buttresses. They are not the true nature of the marriage, which is a much deeper and much harder to quantify. I know that I am loved and that my partner will not leave me. I just do. I am full of confidence. And it is so with Jesus.
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