The Human Situation

One of the great assets of the Christian faith is that it helps us avoid being naive about the human situation.  Authentic Christianity does not preach natural human goodness.  While there is in every person “that of God” there is also the recognition that we humans and the whole of creation (including our institutions which the Bible calls “principalities”)  are in a “fallen state.”  We are not yet what we could be.

Dr. Karl Menninger in his book (Whatever Became of Sin?)  written in 1973, reminded his readers, that “sin” is still in existence and that sin is the most prevalent malady of our modern world.” Sin is not drinking, playing cards, sex, etc. Sin is a much bigger and deeper thing.  Sin is “missing the mark,” the “mark” being “that of God” in us.  

Now we could blame this problem on God, because God did not create us “good” or “perfect” or “programmed.”  God created us FREE!  We, above all other creatures, have a choice of whether to respond to “that of God” in us, or to go another way.  The biblical “Fall” was our choice—we decided to go our own way—missing what it means to be created in the image of God.  “All we like sheep have gone astray.”  The Bible “is a great love story of God, the Lover, wooing human beings, the beloved, to choose Love over self.

With Frank Sinatra we can all sing, “I Did It My Way.”  This is the potential in every human heart because we are free—the choice is ours—and we typically choose our own way.  You can call it “self-centeredness” if you want.  

Any Christian who understands his or her faith is never Utopian.  We can do all we can to help make a better world, but we also realize that, a thousand years from now, if there are people on the earth at that time, there will still be self-centeredness (sin) because it is the price of person-hood.  We were created free.

Backyard wonders