Yesterday in church I preached my first sermon in 21 years on Original Sin. The DOCTRINE of Original Sin. I know, what possessed me? Most of my colleagues were preaching about children and Jesus and I was obsessing about Original Sin. What possessed me was that a woman asked me and some others from my congregation this question: “You’re not a church that’s going to try to save me are you?” We all quickly assured her that we were not that kind of church. But the question keeps nagging me. If we aren’t that kind of church, what kind of church are we? The more I pondered the question of salvation, the more I found myself wandering all the way back to Original Sin. Honestly I don’t think I have spent much time over the years examining what I believe about Original Sin.
What I found myself worrying about as I was preparing the sermon is whether or not this particular doctrine would end up being the “crucial” card in a house of cards. If we begin to question or change or refute the doctrine of Original Sin, would we be in danger of collapsing the whole theological house of Christianity? Not at all cavalierly, I have decided the answer is “NO!” While we may be in danger of dismantling a particular room in the house, we are not in danger of collapsing the house.
Honestly, I don’t believe that God created a perfect world – ever, anywhere. Good? Yes. Perfect? No. I also don’t believe that because Eve and Adam ate a forbidden fruit that they then brought destruction upon all of us. I don’t buy the idea that Adam’s seed turned bad and now we are all born with bad seed. I have never understood the idea that Eve was the temptress. Though I am not a fan of snakes, I think the serpent got a bad rap. But mostly, I don’t believe God is a punishing God that in anger threw Adam and Eve out of the Garden. I like some of the Jewish midrash around this story that says rather than being a story about sin and evil entering the world, it’s more likely a rite of passage story. This could very well be the first story about leaving home and beginning one’s adult life!
While I could go on and on about the things I don’t believe about this story, it’s more difficult to articulate what I do believe. One thing is for sure. There are days when it seems as if evil is rampant and winning in the world.
And then I am reminded by Love to look up, look around and see the goodness that is in me and in those all around me. There have been very few times in my life when I have looked for the goodness and just not seen it. Usually when I look for the goodness in others I see it. Maybe that’s the biggest problem I have with the doctrine of Original Sin. If we look for what is wrong or spoiled or sinful or bad in others, we will surely see it. Like in the Garden, the choice is ours…