Is Sin A Thing?

When I was a small boy my father would read Dr. Seuss books to me before I fell asleep.  One of my favorites had all kinds of silly ideas that no one would ever see in reality.  One in particular has stayed with me over the years.  The question was a simple one, “If there are flashlights for when it is dark, are there flash-darks for when it is light?”  Dr. Seuss included an illustration of a very confused Cat In The Hat who was shining a cone of darkness out of a small device.

Are there flash-darks for when it is light?

Of course the answer is no, because darkness isn’t actually a thing.  Darkness is the absence of a thing - the absence of light.  You cannot intentionally create darkness the way you can create light with fire, a light bulb, or other means.  Light in itself is a type of energy, and darkness is the lack of that energy.

I share this today because sin and redemption work a lot like this.  Early Church Fathers thought of sin not as a thing, but as the absence of a thing - the absence of God.  Human beings were initially created to exist in fellowship with God, as illustrated in the Garden of Eden found in Genesis Chapter 2.  When that fellowship was broken, humans were cut off from the source of life and existence itself.  It was as if a person suddenly unplugged their floor lamp and carried it around with them, all the while wondering why it wasn’t working.

If you were to walk around in the dark a whole host of unpleasant things could happen.  You might bump into furniture.  You might fall down.  You might hurt yourself or others.  That’s why light is so important.

The Gospel of John describes Jesus as the light of the world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. (John 1:5 NRSVUE)” This means that the very act of Jesus coming into this world created a redemptive effect. Because He was fully human and fully God, Jesus was able to bring God’s light into a dark world. His very being was enough to restore the fellowship that was lost in the Garden of Eden.

Today we have the gift of the Church to continue this reconciliation to each and every generation. Jesus promised that after his Ascension, the Father would send the Holy Spirit to continue His work in the world. Because of the Holy Spirit, every time the Bible is read, every time the Eucharist is celebrated, every time a new believer is baptized, Jesus Christ is present. The same energy that He brought into the world at his birth is present at every celebration of the Church.

The question to every person in the world today is how close to this redemption do you want to be?  A person can spend their entire life walking in darkness, not even aware of what true life looks like. Jesus came that we would have life, and live it to the fullest. (John 10:10) The way to do that is through a disciplined spiritual life. Attend Church on Sundays. Pray daily. Spend time reading Scripture. In doing so, you will tap into that redemption energy that Jesus Christ brings into the world. You will walk in the light of the world.