I was reminded today that before my sin becomes an offense to my wife or child, it is an offense to God—for before it takes place with my hands or mouth, it takes place in the affections of my heart. This, from an unlikely source—a quote from the newly appointed Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori when asked if homosexuality was a sin.
She said, "I don’t believe so…some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."
I was amazed that "ordered affections" do no not qualify as sin to her. Especially when Jesus defined evil as having affections for that which is unholy and not loving that which is supremely lovely.
"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19 ESV emphasis mine)
I have more in common with Katharine than I would ever like to admit. I am often more aware of sin as it floats down the rivers of my actions, than the melting ice atop the mountain of my heart.
True religion, in great part, consists in holy affections. --Jonathan Edwards
2 comments:
We will never be able to love our Savior properly if we do not see that sin is deeper than actions.
Great post, Rob. This post is very Mohler-like: viewing the current events through the eyes of faith. Keep it up.
Considering that Jesus said that "out of the heart" proceed such things, I have trouble understanding her presuppostions.
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