If Lent is about fasting, penitence, confession, redemption and forgiveness, it seems to me that sinning and sin must lurk somewhere in the background. Goodness (or evil) knows, we pray hard and often for forgiveness of our sins - every Sunday at least.
I've always been perplexed by one of the fringe issues of sinning. The Ten Commandments are big time sins, pretty specific. The deadly sins, to me, seem mild by comparison, old fashioned. (Sloth?) We usually know when we have transgressed. Sometimes we pray for forgiveness, when time permits, or maybe it's just a wee transgression hardly meriting an appeal to a higher power. At least we try to teach our children the difference between right and wrong.
But what about NOT doing the right thing that we know sooner or later we should have done? Examples: Ever walk hurriedly past a homeless person and the sign by his cap, "Please Help?" Ever ignore a serious question from your spouse or child? Too busy? Ever witnessed someone cheating a store clerk, the IRS, or health-care insurer ... and kept quiet? Ever passed an auto accident saying to yourself, "Help will surely arrive soon."? Too arrogant to apologize for an oversight?
The Letter of James (brother of Jesus) (4:17) doesn't equivocate. "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin." Now I know why we pray about sin so much. Perhaps we should be more proactive in our daily life ... be more conscious of others in need ... do the right thing.
Gracious and forgiving God, we confess to sometimes doing the wrong things and not doing the right things. Let your guiding spirit help us to avoid sin, big and small, that we may be redeemed in your sight. Amen.
Dick Judy
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