Psalm 85
Mark 1: 1-8
I once heard a priest say, “Sin is any thought, word or deed which distances you from God.” While this seemed useful and reasonable criteria at the time, it is a truncated thought. Many people feel distant from God at various times in their life through no fault or sin; Mother Theresa and other saints have spoken of it as a necessity to mature faith. To assume where there is distance there must be sin, may strike us as blame and shame. We are taught, God is everywhere and Christ within and beside us at all times. We may perceive a distance, but it may not be reality as the Lord understands it.
Regardless of these nuances, we know we need to repent. John the Baptist uses the word metanoia, meaning, change of heart. This word is problematic, however, because such transformation or reformation is out of our hands. We cannot will, force or accomplish such a reshaping; it is a task best performed by the Lord. We can only recognize the need and pray for growth.
The psalm offers us another image of repentance. The word shuv is often, as it is here, translated as repent, but in a stricter sense of the original Hebrew, it refers to the physical action of turning back to or towards (5, 6). When John calls us to repent, he is encouraging us to turn back to the Lord. Changing my heart is beyond my power, and shrinking a distance which does not exist is impossible, but I can turn…it is a physical and spiritual action within my power.
The gospel urges us to remember we are accountable to God for our thoughts, words and deeds: our hearts and minds should remain fixed on Heaven. Some teachers and preachers have, however, encouraged people to regard the Second Coming and Judgement Day with fear, guilt and anxiety; after all those left behind will wail and grind their teeth. The psalmist explains, however, when we turn back to the Lord, “Kindness and truth shall meet/justice and peace shall kiss.” Both Lord and people are turning towards each other: a mirrored movement which indicates a reciprocal friendship. It is this relationship of mutual affection and love which awaits us when we turn again to the Lord.
Journal Questions:
- What are my perceptions and intuitions around sin as distance from God, repentance as a change of heart? What do my personal experiences tell me about each idea?
- Does the idea of turning back to God resonate with me, or is it problematic? When I speak with the Lord about it, what understandings come to me?
References: Refer to blog post entitled Resources
© 2017 Marilyn MacArthur, all rights reserved
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