Unwinding and Uprooting
"Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one" (Psalm 14:2-3).
"The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).
Shortly after moving into our Longwood home, I realized I'd have a major project to tackle out of the gate. Right next to the driveway we had a massive bougainvillea bush. As you might know, bougainvillea produce beautiful blooms, but they're also covered with very sharp thorns. And this one had the biggest and sharpest thorns I'd ever seen. After experiencing one going through my shoe and into my foot several times, I knew this thing had to go, especially with a toddler running around.
So I got to work. Over the course of several weeks, I took a few hours on the weekends to get to chopping. It was neither easy nor painless work as you might imagine. But eventually I had all of the branches hacked down. The next step was getting the stump out of the ground. So I dug around it, deep around it, without much initial success of dislodging it. Eventually, after clipping and chopping roots that shot out from the stump, I was able to get it out. What a job that was!
The interesting thing about this stump is that it had some green plastic entangled at its base (see photo). We figured that it was initially planted in a pot, and over the years it busted out of its container and took root in the ground – I mean really took root in the ground to become the bougain-beast that I had to battle!
Our Scripture readings for this upcoming week reveal the reality that sin has likewise taken root in this world. Of course, we know this. We know it from reading history; we know it from watching the news; we know it when we take a moment to reflect on our own thoughts, words, and deeds.
And this sin is not just surface level. It wound its way deep into the fabric of our society (and all societies), and in like manner entwined itself around the inner sanctum of our souls. Although it may have started out small, sin broke out of its confines and took a systemic hold of our world and our hearts. And as Psalm 14 makes clear, no one is immune.
I don't know about you, but sometimes the bleak reality of sin's pervasive reach can be discouraging, especially with recent headlines that include the assassination of a young activist whose family (including a wife and two small children) are now left grieving, likely because he held different political views than the radical who shot him. Moreover on this day particularly, when I remember the horrific events that transpired in New York 24-years-ago, I'm left reeling at the heartbreaking effects of sin that ended so many lives as a result of that evil act. But sin's influence also disturbs me on a personal level when I'm thoughtful enough to reflect on its evidence in my own life.
But friends, as troubling as sin's impact in our world and in our hearts may be, there is good news! In our gospel lesson, Jesus tells us that he is in pursuit of the sinner like a shepherd who goes after lost sheep. Our epistle confirms this when St. Paul says that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
And that means me and you! For our sakes, Jesus took on human flesh and dealt the decisive blow to sin through his life, death and resurrection. He confronted the powers of darkness and there on the cross defeated them by means of his sacrifice. And his rising again demonstrated his victory, not only over sin, but over that which sin brought into the world – death itself.
Why then, you might ask, is the world still bound by sin and death? And why do we, as believers, still engage in what is wrong? The answer is that we're in the in-between age – the already but not yet era. Yes, Jesus has already come and defeated sin, death and the spiritual forces of darkness. But he has not yet destroyed them. The final blow, which entails the ultimate uprooting of sin's thorny hold, won't be dealt until his return.
In the meantime, take heart. Jesus is still seeking and saving sinners. By the forgiveness he purchased, the strength he provides, and the strategy of the kingdom, the Lord is unwinding and uprooting sin's hold on hearts and ultimately its grip on the world. No doubt it's a hard road at times, and our hearts rightly recoil at what we often witness around us and even in us. But one of the most amazing truths that Scripture reveals is that he calls his people not only to experience inwardly an expanding freedom from sin, but also to extend that freedom to others by pointing them to him.
And may we as his Church do just that.
Fr. Darin+
