As I’ve written before, words are problematic.  All words are metaphors for something and it’s the disconnect between your “something” and my “something” that causes the problem.   My first husband “loved” me.  He insisted upon it.  The problem was, his definition of what love was differed tremendously from mine.  So he felt unloved by me and I felt unloved by him.  All the while, we both insisted that we loved one another.  Needless to say, it didn’t work out. 

Today I used the word “sin” in a discussion at church.  Almost immediately afterward I wished I hadn’t.  I feel like the word “sin” is pretty universally used to describe actions that are categorized by one religion or another as prohibited or bad.   I don’t believe there is a list or lists somewhere of bad things we are prohibited from doing called “sins”, so I try not to use the word.  I believe that categories of “bad” and “prohibited” are done away with in the teachings of Christ and that grace makes everything permissible.  

In translating the Bible, scholars translated the word   σάρξ (sarx), which means “flesh” to “sinful nature”. 

I like “flesh” better. 

We are flesh – biological creatures and as such, we have biological instincts.  These instincts are not right or wrong per se, they are not “sin,” they are just the instincts that allowed us to survive.  They are just our flesh - our biology. We have the instinct for sex to reproduce, the instinct for competition for resources, the instinct to fight when we are threatened.  These instincts are seen in all living creatures and are part of their biology; their flesh.   The drives of the “flesh” keep us and all living things alive.  That certainly seems OK to me.  It certainly seems permissible. 

And while certainly permissible, we all know that these instincts are often not beneficial.  Competition for resources, the instinct to fight, and the sexual drive can lead to violence, exploitation, war, poverty, and so much more. 

The teachings of Christ ask us to resist our biological nature in many cases in favor of a spiritual nature that goes against the biology of survival.  Turning the other cheek, loving your enemy and allowing oneself to be crucified do not lend themselves to your immediate survival.   They do, however, lead to the evolution of the consciousness of the human race. They move the world toward love and peace, which ultimately lead to survival in an entirely different way.   They lead to a world where resources are protected, shared and nourished rather than fought over.  They lead to a world where the weak are not exploited and power is not the way to lead.  They lead to a world where violence is not met with violence. 

They lead to life that is not just survival, but is truly life and life to the full.   This vision is not about right and wrong, it’s not about sin or purity or any other religious legalism.  This vision is about creating a new world, one where god’s “will” is done on earth as it is in heaven. 

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