We seem to have little trouble in admitting we are sinners. We do it together most weeks in worship. There may even be a bit of comfort in doing so together as we can look around and know we are not alone in our status as a sinner.
What if instead we had to confess our sins; that is the acts and inactions we committed in the past week. Those deeds and things left undone of which we are aware; how would we feel about putting those out there? Would we feel an act of solidarity with our fellow sinners who are doing the same? Or would we keep score to see who among us was the worst sinner. (No worries, we will not be starting this practice any time soon.)
While being able to readily admit our sinfulness, we are not big on admitting the sins. Not even to ourselves. Just as a for instance, saying “I am a sinner” may flow easily from our lips but saying, “I am a racist” seems unable to come out, much less flow out with the same ease as confessing sinfulness.
And, oh yes, we are sinners. And, oh yes, we are racists. And, one final “oh yes”: “Oh yes, this very definitely includes me. Even though I have publicly admitted this before, this still struggles to be said in any out loud way through speech or writing. I/we cannot be part of our system of living as middle class white Americans without participating in a system that in many was depends upon racism.
This sounds absolutely horrifying and terrible, doesn’t it? Yes, it does because yes, it is. My point here, however, is almost less racism and more sin. As we glibly acknowledge our sinfulness, we far too often fail to understand how horrifying and terrible is sin and sinfulness. We seem to understand “I am a sinner” as synonymous with “I am not perfect.” Sinfulness is a far more serious and deeper issue than imperfection. Adding 2 + 2 and getting 5 is a mistake. Treating others unjustly and living in our protected narcissistic bubbles is horrendous. Ask any who have suffered from our sins.
We confess our sinfulness because we need constant reminder of who we are beneath our well-groomed surface. We have a need to confess our sins if we have any hope to overcome them or grow. Sometimes these do need to be said out loud to someone.
We have great hope in the God of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of our sinfulness. If God can forgive this very basic condition of ours, we need to trust that God can forgive those individual sins, those deep sins that cause hurt to others. Do we trust God enough, do we trust God’s grace enough to be able to admit not only our sinfulness, but our very sins? Putting them out there can be as much for ourselves as it can be for God or even some other. We cannot hope to overcome that which we refuse to acknowledge.
Admitting not only who we are but what we have done, what we do, is the first step to recovery; that is, the first step to dealing with and overcoming our sin. Sin is profoundly injurious to the sinned against, and at times the sinner. Grave and great that sin is, even greater is God’s grace and forgiveness.