Truth-telling – March 4
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 95 , 31; PM Psalm 35, Ezek. 18:1-4,25-32; Phil. 4:1-9; John 17:9-19
Sin is hard. And uncomfortable. It is the kind of thing that, when read about on paper or computer screen, can be kept at an arm’s length. It is someone else’s problem to reorder and reconcile. When we see sin and pain lived out in our own household, in relationships, or recalled from our earlier years, it is more intense. Messy. Inescapable. But what about something like generational sin? Some hold that the wrongdoings of prior generations trickle down and besmirch the children and grandchildren who follow. I wonder if you have seen such dynamics at play? I wonder if you have felt as if the actions of a parent or grandparent have cast a shadow on your life. How easy would it be to talk about such an experience? It is complicated and painful to know about and live into.
The Christian doctrine of original sin is an extension of the ancestral flaw mindset – the sins of Adam and Eve at creation tainted all who would follow. It is through baptism that the smudge of generational sin is washed away. We see generational sin explored several places in the Bible – one prominent place is in the Ten Commandments:
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)
The commandment spells out how, because of God’s nature as a disciplinarian, children will continue to be punished if their parents have sinned – and this will continue for generations.
There are parts of Holy Scripture that approach ancestral sins differently. In Deuteronomy 24:16, one of the laws written states, “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.” In today’s lectionary in Ezekiel 18, we hear a similar update through the prophet Ezekiel’s lips: God claims all lives: the life of the parent as well as the life of the child; it is only those who sin who will die. (v. 4)
Later in Ezekiel 18, the prophet gives good counsel regarding what to do, in spite of the messiness of sin and destruction in this world: Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise, they will become stumbling blocks. In cleansing yourself, adopt a new heart and a new spirit. Turn your life toward God and live.
Walter Brueggemann wrote an article on Ezekiel, and he held up this important aspect of Ezekiel’s role: the prophet was honest about what he saw happening in Jerusalem. He named the dynamics of hypocrisy, avoidance, and whitewashing the pain and brokenness surrounding them. To whom did he address these truths? The religious community – the body Ezekiel said was responsible for truth-telling. Bruggemann wraps up his reflection with this conclusion: it is in speaking truthfully about human realities of war, deceit, abuse, and pain that we – the Church – and we as humans are prepared to receive the peace that God promises. In fact, it is that peace spoken of in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
On Ash Wednesday this week, we were invited to enter into a holy Lent “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.” (BCP 265) I pray that through self-examination, each of us will see and know the truths we need to voice. I pray that the shadows that loom over us will be cast away, so that each of us can turn toward God and live fully and faithfully.
- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What truths do you need to speak of? What generational sins and pain do you hope to shed, so that you will adopt a new heart and a new spirit, turning your life toward God and living fully?
Daily Challenge
Want to read more of the Walter Bruggemann article referenced in the reflection? Find that story here: https://www.religion-online.org/article/truth-telling-and-peacemaking-a-reflection-on-ezekiel/