Many years ago, I was on my way to beautiful Lake Atitlan, surrounded with its many volcanoes, in Guatemala. The bus was an old school bus from the 50s or 60s, colorfully painted, and put into service for public transportation. Instead of two persons on each seat there were three, and two more standing between the seats. The rear of the bus had a ladder, leading to the roof where baggage and other stuff were strapped down. Some folks were on that ladder and others were standing on the rear bumper and holding on to the back door. At each stop some got in or left, and somehow the ayudante (the driver’s helper) was able to discern who had not paid, and he would squeeze his way between those standing or climb over seats to collect the fare.
I was sitting next to a Social Sciences professor from Harvard. We admired the beauty of the scenery on the winding roads, the breath-taking vistas, the colorful and varied patterns of the dress of the indigenous women, and talked about many subjects, including the Catholic faith. She asked me, “What is original sin?” This was before my theological studies. I said that I was not really qualified to address this weighty subject. But saying that she saw a depth in my faith, she persisted. So I said, “I think it’s fear.”
God made us so that we will do everything possible to preserve our life. Preservation of our life is in our genes. We are born with this drive. It is natural and it is good. Fear of losing our life keeps us focused on what we should or should not do. For example, we would not put our hand into a fire, nor jump out of a ten-story window, nor drive 100 miles per hour in heavy traffic. But fear of losing our life can become so extreme that we take unhealthy steps, make poor decisions that take life rather than preserve it.
Fear may drive us to become aggressive and strike another so that they will think twice about doing us harm. “Get them before they get us.” And so wars begin…whether between nations or between individuals. Violence begets more violence. At the other extreme, fear may overpower us so that we shut ourselves off from others. We hibernate in our own little cocoon, never to come out to live the beautiful life for which we were created. Instead, we suffocate within. Whenever we become aggressive or enclose ourselves we are turning our back on the heaven that God has created and has entrusted to us.
Jesus’ last prayer was, “Father, I pray that they may be one as you and I are one.” (Jn 17:21) Fear prevents this dream from becoming reality. It is a fear that is ingrained in us for the very reason that we are hard-wired to preserve our life. Fear can be healthy. But it becomes sin ~ the original sin ~ when it takes control of us and leads us to take life rather than giving it…when it leads to violence rather than peace.
Time and again, Jesus said, “Have no fear”…neither of others nor of yourself. FDR said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” In the movie, “High Plains Drifter”, Clint Eastwood seeks to save a town from its fear of some gun fighters. When asked why he is not afraid, he says, “The only thing we have to fear is what we know about ourselves inside.” “Be not afraid!”…could we be if we truly heard Christ speak these words to us? Yet, from the beginning of time, fear has been our Achilles’ heel…our sin…a deadly weakness that can lead to our downfall.
Adam and Eve failed to trust God and feared that their Eden might be taken from them, so they sought o become gods themselves and took action which back-fired. Whenever we lose trust in God (and in each other), and seek to become god-like with military or economic power, we once again succumb to the temptation of our original sin…and let fear separate us from one another and from God. Even in our attempts to do good, such as perhaps when we are moved by the poor and want to be generous, we can find ourselves afraid to give too much… so once more we lose another opportunity to encounter God.
When we overcome fear, our original and recurring sin, we discover anew the Eden God has created, a peace within, and a harmony with all creation. There are many who will continue to be violent, and can do us much harm, but they cannot take away our peace…our union with God…unless we let them. That is the invaluable lesson of the Cross…and of Baptism. We are willing to die to the sin that imprisons and poisons us ~ fear ~ so as to live most fully and free (with God and with each other).
After years of study and ministry, I still believe that fear is our original sin.
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Your thoughts and experience show a good way to look at original sin; a very good explanation of how many facets in life can contribute to our "original sin", and how fear is always on our mind in many ways.
ReplyDeleteMuy buena contribución de lo que es pecar en nuestras vidas. Gracias por la reflección.
May God always guide you to do and say the best in life to us who need it the most.
When I read this blog, it really left me thinking, thinking how fear does enter our lives, so often without us even asking for it. Your explanation brought to mind this familiar story about walking in another man's shoes; the author is unknown as far as I could determine and this is just a portion of the entire poem. The point is that we don't always know by outside appearances where another has been, what their life experience has been like; a quick assessment of a situation is only human, although your basic premise initially left me feeling a little "fear" in my heart, I hope you are not offended by the dusty road it lead me to think of after reading your latest blog. Thank you for opening up our hearts and minds to explore alternative avenues of thought.
ReplyDeleteANOTHER MAN'S SHOES
I met a man walking, on a long dusty road;
he seemed to be burdened, with life's heavy load.
His hair was kind of shaggy, he'd been sleeping in his clothes;
his shoes were old and weathered, not pretty, heaven knows.
I said, "Hello Sir, How do you do";
he looked at me and said, "How'd do".
I said, "Where are you going, on this hot sunny day";
He said, "I'm looking for Heaven, and to leave here I pray".
I said, "Come on now, don't be a fool";
He said, "This world is just too cruel".
I said, "Please explain your reasons to die;
before you leave this world and say good-by".
Then he said, "I'll tell you and maybe you'll see;
but promise me that you won't judge me".
Promise me that you won't condemn;
cause you just don't know, the condition I'm in.
You won't know me, or understand my blues;
until you have walked awhile in my shoes.
Until you have read every line in my face;
until you have stood awhile in my place.
You won't know me, until you have carried my load;
and struggled along this old dusty road.
Until you have felt, my pain and rejection;
and felt my sorrow, and felt my affliction.
He said, "I was born into dire poverty;
as rough a life, as ever can be".
My dad ran away, and my mother was cruel;
and everyone else, called me the fool.
I wandered the streets, when I was only nine;
getting into trouble and wasting my time.
I've been in many jails, throughout the years;
had a lot of heartache, shed a lot of tears.
I've felt cold eyes, staring at me;
by upper class people, and high society.
I've met people who won't give me the time of day;
who went into a big fine church, and kneeled down to pray.
My whole life has been, filled with pain;
sometimes I wonder, if I'm insane.
But if I am, out of my mind;
why am I hated, most of the time.
Don't people have compassion for the mentally ill;
or be concerned as to how they feel.
Don't misunderstand me, I've done wrong too;
I'm not perfect, but neither are you.
I'm weary and tired, of life's heavy load;
not too many more days, will I walk this old road.
By my outward appearance, I know I'm not much;
But how can you judge me, by clothes and the such?
If anyone loved me, or cared at all;
they'd give me some help, this burden to haul.
Only God Loves me, this I believe;
but from this world, there is nothing I receive.
He now had stopped speaking, and he looked at my face;
I saw a tear on his cheek, leaving its' trace.
I was speechless and astounded, I spoke not a word;
He slowly turned, and walked down that old road.
I stood there just thinking, of the man I had met;
and suddenly I loved him, my eyes were then wet.
Another human being, I'll never judge nor condemn;
cause he may have walked, where I've never been.
How can I judge or condemn any man?
Until in his shoes, I walk and I stand.
Amen.
Wow, all these years I thought original sin was a sin said to be inherited by all descendants of Adam; "Adam and Eve committed the original sin when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden". I never really could come to terms with that definition myself because I believe our God is a Good and Loving God and he would not bring innocent children into the world with original sin at the moment when they take their first breath of life. I am having a hard time relating to the correlation between the Church's definition and your definition of original sin but at least you got me thinking while trying to understand where you are coming from
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you all for your comments and for sharing the beautiful, thought-provoking poem. As far as "inheriting" our original sin from Adam and Eve, we do.
ReplyDeleteWe are human descendents of this Biblical pair and we inherit their human tendencies...including the drive to preserve our life...the fear of losing it. But, as I attempted to explain, this fear can get the best of us, and then becomes our undoing...separating us from one another...preventing us from becoming the loving, life-giving masterpiece we were created to be...and derailing the work entrusted to us of building a peaceable kingdom on earth. This fear ~ our original sin ~ is the mother of all sins and separates us from the God who created us to be one.
Thank you for your blog as always and for further explaining that which is not always obvious to the ordinary lay person.
ReplyDeleteVaya Con Dios Padre.
Great case for fear as original! Does selfishness fit in somewhere there, or is it just "kin" to fear? Both seem to put ourselves in center, therefore putting all else as secondary, and consequently make cause for fear and all the evils that come from it. No?
ReplyDeleteThanks for further explanation of Scripture. sm
Astounding!!! in the case you make for "fear" as original sin! I want to stand and shout "Bravo"!!!
ReplyDelete