It's us, not them

Many people dislike the word ‘sinner,’ and some point out that on the sixth day of creation, in Genesis 1:27-31, God created people as essentially ‘good.’ Yet, I have translated ‘of sinners’ here instead of forgiveness ‘of sins.’ The Latin ‘peccatorum’ allows for both translations and balances the previous statement that we can form a communion of ‘dedicated’ or ‘holy’ people (the idea of being ‘simul iustus et peccator,’ simultaneously righteous and a sinner, is found in church reformer Martin Luther). It is not just the individual deed that needs forgiveness, but rather the relationships of the ‘sinners’ that need to be restored. Relationships between imperfect people and relationships with God.

Some pious people in Jesus’ time hated the idea of being a sinner and did their best to avoid sinning. They studied the law, discussed the norms that would guarantee that the law would not be broken, and acted accordingly. They were wonderful people, good citizens, - although sometimes negative on others. ‘Sinners’ is what they called publicans, prostitutes and pagans. They criticized Jesus: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ Hosea 6:6). For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” (Matthew 9:11-12). Jesus thought they could miss out because of it. For if the norms are so divinely important to you, how then do you judge others who fall short of that norm? What freedom do you give them? Or yourself?

Jesus demolishes the idea that we can call the others (and not ourselves) the ‘sinners,’ the ‘haters,’ or the haram. That does not only lead to broken relations with, or exclusion of other, but also to hypocrisy and deep uncertainty within ourselves – and sometimes even deeper psychological problems and more destructive behaviour to silence that uncertainty within. Sometimes entire groups of people are routinely denounced because the combination of their religion, nationality, gender, skin colour, political beliefs, age, sexuality is deemed wrong or degenerated. We all know where that can lead to. As we are not all perfect, the only antidote is to admit that we all sin, lack love, and are less pure than we would want to be.

If you read the parable about the publican who collected taxes for Rome, you see that Jesus calls him ‘justified before God,’ simply because of his opening up in remorse. What can that mean? We can only understand this when we keep thinking in terms of relationships: ‘justified’ here means literally that partners are ‘right’ with each other. Because of his honesty and remorse, God can answer him: ‘don’t worry, we’re cool; we’re o.k.’ It does not yet mean that his prayer made the tax collector ‘cool’ with the people he had extorted money from. That is why, in the story of the tax collector Zacchaeus, his experience of forgiveness and acceptance by Jesus is followed by offering recompense to his victims (Luke 19:8).

Paradise lost

There is a second creation story in Genesis 2 and 3 It is different from Genesis 1, as it has its own order of creation (first Adam is created, then vegetation and animals, and finally Eve). Adam stands for humanity (adam in Hebrew) living of the soil (adamah in Hebrew). Eve (or chavah in Hebrew) stands for the life that is passed on through generations (3:20). The Garden of Eden stands for the joyful presence of God, where Adam and Eve can say and do whatever they want, except one thing: eating from the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil.’ For that would be the start of corruption and mortality.

What is meant by that? Eating from the tree stands for judgment and blame, producing feelings of guilt and shame, and harming the relationships between God and man, men and women, humanity and the earth. As soon as Adam and Eve eat from the tree, they are ashamed for their nakedness and hide themselves for God (even though God created them nude!). Joyful speech is lost and the blame game begins. As soon as humanity starts using the categories of good and evil, innocence is lost and paradise becomes a distant memory. We are thrown into chaos and suffering. The same happens to any child that is born into limitless love and care and grows up to find a place in a world that is overpowering and demanding. It is even worse for a child born with no memory of paradise whatsoever. How will she or he ever find a firm basis to commit to healthy relations?
The Hebrew Bible continues to show how God supports humanity to find enough common ground, food and security through fair laws (Moses) and inspired leadership (David), but it is not enough to regain paradise. It can even corrupt us further, when we replace the eternal promise of the loving Father to all his children, with the rules and norms of a particular culture, time and social or religious community. Religion then becomes used in ways that are normative, divisive and oppressive. The prophets keep pointing to a new future when the covenant will no longer be an external set of rules, but an inner condition of the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Jesus carried Peter's sins

The disciples recognized that prophetic vision in the life and teaching of their friend Jesus. And the more that they saw the spirit of God filling Jesus and healing people through him, the more that they started to believe that God was indeed a loving Father who desired to be with them and who invited them into his presence. And when he died on the cross, Jesus became the good shepherd, who gave his life to help the sheep of Israel go in and out to the Father. In a letter, Peter encourages the followers of Jesus to live good lives even when other people and powers revile and oppress them. Even slaves of harsh masters he encourages that their dignity comes from inside. Peter remembered very well that last supper before the arrest and crucifixion, when Jesus identified himself as the suffering servant described by the prophet Isaiah. Jesus would die, not because of any crime of his own doing, but to save his friends and enable them to carry his message further to people. In 1 Peter 2:2-25 he explains how Isaiah's prophecy about the suffering servant applies to Jesus and us:

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps:

[For this is how the prophet Isaiah saw the suffering servant:] “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” [So] when they hurled their insults at [Jesus], he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to [God] who judges justly.

“He himself bore our sins,” in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. [That is what Isaiah meant with:] “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” [he wrote,] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

When Peter joined Jesus, he did so in part because he saw how people, including his own mother-in-law, where healed by Jesus. Little did this strong and healthy fisherman know that he himself was just as sick and wounded. Not in his body but in his soul. First, it hit him that he himself was sinful (Luke 5:8). He could not believe that he was worthy of the love of a good man like Jesus. But the more that he saw God revealed in Jesus, the more he saw that this love for him was real and that God gave himself to them through Jesus’ sacrifice. As Paul wrote (Romans 5:8): “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It was their experience of resurrection that convinced them (I Peter 1:21, Romans 1:4).

Paradise restored

With the forgiveness of sinners, I believe, we are approaching the secret of Jesus’ spirituality and the essence of salvation as he taught it: If God is a loving Father, then God’s desire is communion with and between his children. If ‘sin’ is understood as that which stands between me and God or me and the other, then forgiveness is way to (re)establish that communion. Forgiveness is the road back into paradise where we can communicate with God and each other without feelings of shame of guilt. As John wrote (I John 3:19-21):

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: [Even] if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have parrhèsia (the freedom to literally ‘say anything’) before God.

This is why with the kingdom of God, the realm of love, sin has lost its power to harm the relationship. Yes we still sin, but it no longer keeps us from or kicks us out of paradise. That is why the same apostle who wrote “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves,” also wrote: “anyone born of God does not sin, but the One who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him” (I John 1:8 and 5:18). The point is, it is not the sin that kills the relationship, but the fear of judgment.

Through forgiveness from God we enter a different space, a realm where the rules do not apply, where judgment does not exist: the kingdom of the Son that is loved by God (Colossians 1:19). The cross and the resurrection proved to the apostles that God is dead serious: he does not desire an external religion telling you what is forbidden or what has to be done, but an internal religion that restores faith, hope and love. He does not want the temporal, contextual, cultural norms that the external religions, philosophies or ideologies prescribe. The crucifixion of Jesus exposed them as inadequate to discern between good and evil.

So let no one condemn you in what you eat, touch or celebrate. Let no one disqualify you for your gender, sexuality, class, skin colour, or age. Rather, go inside out: Drop the pretense that has clothed us in this world, the self-righteousness that – when disputed - is falsely protected by anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language. Stop calling others sinners, haters or haram – it’s what we all are. But go inside and enter the intimate presence of God where you are loved as you are. It will change you. It will clothe you with the faith, hope and love of Jesus. Wear this as you move and breathe in and out, living at once in this the world and in paradise. And any time you feel that judgmental dirt cover you again, you know where to go to get cleansed, - where to find the inspiration, the passion and the power to forgive and be forgiven.

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Suggestions for dialogue

A moderator can explain the dialogue steps and invite people to contribute:

• Check in with yourself. Share with each other how you are in this moment. Then take a moment again to seek stillness, humility and openness. 
• First round: Share something from the text or image(s) that stood out to you and that you would like to explore with the group, briefly indicating the thoughts and feelings that it evoked within you. Listen to the others do the same: what resonates with you? Responses in this round should be limited to questions for clarification.
• Second round: Name one or two things that resonated with you from the things that others just shared. 
• Third round: Having heard the group, the moderator names the main topics for exploration. The moderator may also propose a common thread that emerged in several topics. The exploration normally starts with asking the person(s) who brought up the topic to expand on it.
• Leave room for silence and contemplation. 
• Check out by sharing what you take home from this dialogue.

These suggestions are an adaptation of the Estuary protocol. Look for more at https://www.estuaryhub.com