The Sinned-Against

Note: This blog post is more in-depth and formal than usual.  It is, however, something each of us should wrestle with.  It is based on readings from the following book: The Other Side of Sin: Woundedness from the Perspective of the Sinned-Against by Andrew Sung Park and Susan L. Nelson

Addressing The Fullness of Sin

The concept of deeds and consequences has been a powerful premise in cultures and societies across the centuries.  In the Old Testament (OT), this concept was communicated as eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, which not only acted as a deterrent, but also as a means of justice in the life of those societies.  In the modern church we view deeds and consequences in terms of sin and punishment.  Sunday sermons often focus on helping people recognize their sin and repent to avoid the punishment of that sin.  The emphasis on the sinner alone, however, does not completely deal with the issues of sin in our world.  It is not enough to simply help the sinner find repentance and restoration, but an effort to help the sinned against find forgiveness and restoration is just as important.  Ministering to the sinned against requires the church to reevaluate how it approaches those who have been sinned against.  The following will hopefully begin a conversation about ministering to the sinned against by examining a proper context for sin, understanding the pain of “han,” exploring a healthy moral framework, and the impact on pastoral ministry today.

Proper Context

In the OT scriptures, a picture of community is established that was structured around a strong moral code.  This code was considered to be “God-authorized” and can be see in the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.  According to Walter Brueggemann (WB), the structure of these commands and the belief they were “rooted and grounded in God’s own holiness” meant “they were absolute and disobedience is not even entertained as thinkable or possible” (p. 26).  As the first five books of the OT are studied, it is evident humanity was expected to be obedient to the moral structure of God’s will and purpose.  This concept of disobedience to God, or sin, continues to be fleshed out through the wisdom writings, which strongly suggest the individual who does not heed the collective nature of wisdom is foolish and will essentially experience the same consequence as the sinner – death.

In the modern church we tend to view disobedience of God as an individual issue.  When the individual sins, they are the only one who experiences the consequence.  This understanding, however, is not complete.  The full impact of sin includes not only the sinner, but the victim of sin, or sinned-against. This was recognized in various ways by the peoples of the OT.  WB suggests, “The Creator God has ordered the world so that all of life is a series of interrelated components” (p. 27).  As a result, sin is not simply an issue of obedience or disobedience toward God, but affects others whether closely or loosely tied to the particular sin issue.  An example of the affect of sin on others, apart from the sinner, can be found in the story of David and Bathsheba.  David’s sin impacted not only Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, but David’s children as well. The effects of sin are broad and nondiscriminatory.

Understanding Han

Because sin affects more than just the sinner, it is important for the Church to focus on caring for the “wounds” of those who have been sinned-against.  These wounds can be described as “han,” which according to Andrew Sung Park, “is the suffering of the innocent who are caught up in the wicked situation of helplessness” (p.47).  Basically, han is the deep, often tragic, pain experienced by those who have been hurt for reasons beyond their control.  Han might manifest itself internally and/or externally as the individual deals with an array of strong emotion that include anger, helplessness, or hopelessness. “Where sin is committed, han arises as its corollary. The victims of sin develop han, a deep agonizing pain” (p. 48). 

The nature of han that requires our attention is that while the sinner may be forgiven, han may continue to exist in the life of the sinned-against.   After Nathan confronted David he repented, but han was already put in motion.  David’s sin cost Uruah his life, which was certainly not just.  His first born child with Bathsheba died at birth. Surely that child was innocent and did not deserve the consequences of David’s sin.  In addition, David’s household experienced multiple tragedies from incest, to murder, to rebellion. 

Understanding han helps us understand “Jesus’ teaching centered in comforting and healing the wounded and sinned-against” (p. 54). In Mark 2:17, Jesus makes it clear he did not come for the righteous, but for the sinners.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is found with the downtrodden, the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, and those whom the society of his day considered to be sinners simply because they could not fulfill the religious law. Jesus spent time with these people because they needed to be released from their suffering. “For Jesus, releasing people from their han is more important than dealing with their sin” (p.56).

Moral Framework

As han is identified in the lives of people it must be addressed, but it must be addressed within a proper moral framework. In the aftermath of sin, the sinned-against often develop an unhealthy response to their han by developing attitudes of guilt and/or self-blame.  The idea that the sinned-against did something to cause themselves to experience the consequences of the individual’s sin can create a barrier to healing or releasing their han.  Unfortunately, in our modern world, time, effort, and resources are often spent helping the sinner repent and the sinned against is left to seek the source of their suffering on their own. A moral framework needs to be established “that acknowledges the fact of victimization and the need for accountability for those who cause harm to others” (p. 124).

In February 2011, Gary Ridgeway (aka the Green River Killer) pled guilty to a 49^th murder. Part of his plea deal to avoid the death penalty is to confess to all murders linked to him.  On his 62^nd birthday, Ridgeway admitted to killing, then 20 year-old, Rebecca Marrero in 1982. “The victim's sister, Mary Marrero, told King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts that her family has been devastated by the murder and wished that Ridgway faced the death penalty” (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/19/us-murder-serial-idUSTRE71I06X20110219, last accessed October 29^th, 2011).

In this example, the sinned-against (Mary Morrero) continues to live with her han, while the sinner (Ridgeway) is not held fully accountable.  Now, one could argue that Ridgeway is in prison for life, but after confessing 70 murders to date, it does not seem as if he is being held accountable to the fullest extent, especially when you consider that he has a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and three meals a day. 

Impact on Pastoral Ministry

The very fact that Mary Morrero’s desire is to see Ridgeway die should prompt the Church to explore a moral framework that spends time, effort, and resources on helping victims process through their han. Now, this is not to say that the church should not be concerned about the sinner.  After all, each of us is a sinner saved by grace.  The church, however, must broaden its approach to sin if it is to be more effective in dealing with sin.  This new approach must include “worship that is hospitable to the whole of human reality and addresses the experiences of violating and being violates without giving priority to the sinner-violator” (p.167).

This will require congregations to be re-educated about the true nature and context of sin being not just individualistic, but social and communal. Congregations must be taught what it means to lament, and even more importantly, that it is OK to lament.  Lamenting is important because it is one method in which the victim can express their han.  Prayers by the sinned-against, that lift the sinner up to God, can help the sinned-against become more “empowered to relate to the person more assertively and effectively” (p. 171). In addition, verbalizing the sin to a trustworthy and caring person can also help the sinned-against move towards removing han from their life. Ultimately, the pastor may have to recognize their ability to help either professionally or corporately as the Church may not be possible.  In those times, helping the sinned-against to locate extended therapy options may be the best course of action.

The Church has a unique opportunity to help not just the sinner, but the sinned-against as well.  To do so it must cast aside traditional understandings of sin, understand concepts involving han, and establish a healthy moral framework.  When the Church moves in this direction, it can begin to address the fullness of sin’s impact on our world.  In doing so, it becomes more effective for the cause of Christ resulting in the expansion of God’s kingdom.

Until next time...

David

My mouse is perfect... when it's not a hammer!

I have a tendency to get ahead of myself sometimes.  Do you ever do that?  Sometimes, I get so excited about a concept or implementing an idea that I dive in, head-first, and skip important steps or processes that may be necessary to set the stage for what I want to accomplish.  Occasionally, this personality trait frustrates my wife, Lisa.  Basically, I’ll be in the middle of explaining my thoughts, and as I do, my enthusiasm for the idea increases.  My brain then goes into overdrive and I fail to finish explaining the current thought before I move on to the next one.  All I can say is I mean well… (I Love you Lisa).

As I reflect back over my last post, I realize I shifted into overdrive as I launched the blog.  Basically, I was so excited to explain why I was doing the blog, and get the first post uploaded, I failed to explain why I chose to call the blog “My Teleios.”  So, here’s the reason why...

A few years ago, I was studying the Sermon on the Mount when I read this passage:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:43–48, NIV84)

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares some of the ways in which he is fulfilling the law and the prophets (see Mt. 5:17-20).  Essentially, he takes a concept that was generally accepted and/or understood and expounds on it to reveal its full meaning and intent.  In this passage, Jesus is talking about who we should love.  He basically takes the common understanding of the day and flips it upside down to reveal how love should truly be expressed.  After he contrasts several opposites, he challenges his listeners (and now readers) to be perfect. 

WAIT A MINUTE!  Did he just say we were supposed to be perfect?  I thought only Jesus was capable of perfection.  At least, that’s what I learned in Sunday school.  So who’s right, my Sunday school teacher or Jesus?  The answer is both.  Jesus is the only one who was capable of living a perfect life; and we are able to be perfect as well. But how is this possible?  In the words of Paul Harvey, “And now, the rest of the story.”

The answer to this mystery is based on how we understand the word perfect.  If we define “perfect” as being free from defect or flaw, then Jesus is absolutely the ONLY ONE who was capable of living a perfect life.  However, if we define “perfect” as Jesus used it in the passage, then we CAN be perfect.  The word Jesus used for perfect is the Greek word teleios.  Teleios is defined as “having attained the end or purpose, complete, perfect” (BAGD, 809).   The key here is attaining the end or purpose. In other words, something/someone is perfect when it fulfills the function to which it/they were created. 

Allow me to elaborate:  When I sit down at my office computer, my hand automatically moves towards the “mouse.” Because it’s an ergonomic mouse, my palm rests comfortably over the device and I am able to move it around my desk without developing carpal tunnel.  As I move it, a corresponding cursor moves around the computer screen.  When I press a button on the mouse, the cursor “clicks” on whatever is underneath, allowing me to open programs, select files, and even play an occasional game of solitaire.  When I use the mouse in this manner, it fulfills the function for which it was created and the mouse is, by the definition of teleios, perfect.

Now, let’s say I’m using my mouse in such a way that allows it to be teleios perfect. All of a sudden, my diploma from www.nnu.edu (…shameless plug…) falls off the wall because the nail it was hanging on fell out. Since this is an important piece of paper, I immediately get another nail and I take my mouse and start pounding on the head of the nail.  After a few moments, I realize the nail is not making a hole in the wall, but is, instead, making a hole in my mouse. In this situation, my mouse is not fulfilling the function for which it was created and the mouse is NOT perfect.

As created beings, we can be teleios perfect when we fulfill the function for which we were created.  What is that function?  At its most basic level we were created to love God, love others, and live in Biblical community; but if you pick up the Bible and start reading any verse, it won’t be long before you will start to see our function more fully defined as God’s created beings.

My Teleios is simply my journey towards fulfilling God’s intended function in my life.  The good news is that I have chosen to share that journey with you… aren’t you the lucky one (grin).  Seriously though, I count it a privilege and an honor to share this part of my life with you.  May we journey together towards teleios and change the world for Christ in the process!

Until next time,

David

And so it begins...

In December of 2009, God challenged me to take my life and ministry to the next level.  It’s not that I wasn’t doing what God had asked me to do, but I sensed the Holy Spirit pushing me to raise the level of excellence in which I fulfilled my purpose and function in His kingdom. This challenge was so clear to me that I immediately created a list of things needing to be addressed or accomplished in my life. 

One of the items on my list was to create a blog to share with anyone who would read it.  I know, a blog is kind of cliché in today’s Internet culture, but I believe it will accomplish a few things.  First and most importantly, if I don’t do this, I will be disobeying what I believe God has asked me to do. Second, I usually have a million thoughts running around my head and I need a structured way to communicate those thoughts. Finally, I think I have something to say that others will benefit from.

Now if you’ve been paying attention, you probably realized that almost two years have passed since I felt led to start a blog.  You may be wondering, “Why now?”  Two reasons: 1) Even though two years has passed, God has not changed his request and I need to be obedient.  Yes, I accomplished many other things on my list, but partial obedience is still disobedience.

2) Recently, Steve Jobs, co-founder and recent CEO of Apple, Inc. died.  While I did not know him personally, Jobs’ life and work has significantly impacted mine.  His involvement in the creation of the personal computer, establishing Pixar, and the development of the iPod/iPhone/iPad has affected the way I have grown up, learned, and to some degree, lived my life on a daily basis.

As Jobs has been memorialized during the last few weeks, people who knew him are fondly remembering aspects of his life and personality that made him unique.  In practically every article, Jobs’ vision for what could be and his passion to accomplish that vision is identified.  Here’s how Steve Jobs approached life in his own words:

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs at Stanford Commencement ceremony in 2005.

When it came to blogging about my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and life, I think I have put off obeying God’s instructions because I was afraid of what people might think, or whether what I have to say might be embraced.  As of today, I am choosing to not let others influence my ability to obey God in this area. With that said, let me take a moment to reflect a little more on what Jobs said above.

I don’t know what Jobs believed about God or religion, but I do know why our heart and intuition already knows what we want to become – GOD MADE US THAT WAY!  God has created each of us with a purpose and function to fulfill.  Because we have been created that way, there is a natural pull towards discovering that purpose and function. In a sense, we cannot be fully satisfied until we understand what they are.

Now, while an individual may have a specific purpose or function, there are a number of areas that are “built-in” to each of us. So, using some “Apple-like” terminology, here are common areas that will help provide the courage to follow our “hearts and intuition.”

iLove: I need to LOVE GOD always and LOVE OTHERS in the same (Mt 22:34-40).  Why do I love? “[I] love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

iPray: I need to spend regular time communicating with God. (Colossians 1:9-10)  This must be two-way communication – telling God what’s going on with me and then LISTENING to what God has to say to me.

iWorship: I need to CELEBRATE who God is and what He is doing each day and not just on Sunday’s  In addition, my life needs to be a living sacrifice for God for this is my spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

iServe: I have something to offer the world around me because God created me to live for him.  I need to identify a place to serve God using what he has blessed me with. (1 Peter 4:10)

iFellowship: I was not created to live my life disconnected from the world around me.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and with others. (1 Corinthians 1:9, Acts 2:42)

iShare: I need to share what God has done in my life with the people I know and meet.  How can they know the saving grace of God if someone doesn’t tell them about it? (Romans 10:13-15).  This is not just the Pastor’s responsibility.

When we accomplish these elements in our life, we will naturally begin to fulfill our purpose and function in the world around us.  With that said, allow me to summarize this post with a final quote from Jobs: 

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” – Steve Jobs to John Sculley, President of Pepsi in 1983.

Essentially, Jobs was asking, do you want to keep doing what you’ve been doing, do you want to do something that is ultimately unimportant, or do you want to join me and change the world.  I would argue that many of us, myself included, have been content to focus on things that are ultimately unimportant. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the unimportant and am ready to change the world.  This won’t happen overnight, but it can happen. With persistence, consistency, passion, purpose, and the power of God’s grace and peace I can, you can, we can change the world one person, one day, at a time. 

Imagine what it would be like if we each lived out our purpose and function with the same passion Steve Jobs had when he built Apple from the ground up.  Imagine what it would be like to implement each of the “i” aspects mentioned above.  Not only will your life be different, but you WILL literally change the lives of the people around you!

May God bless you as you discover your purpose and fulfill your function in His world!

Until next time…

David