The addiction of sin

Did you ever wonder why God put the object of our downfall in the center of the garden? We had it made! We walked with God in a perfect garden. We were in harmony with all creation. Why did God put that tree so very much there?

Did God want us to know — and thus be wary of — how easy it is to sin?

Sin is an addiction. It’s getting something we consider good in a way that’s wrong. Like when I went along with the rest of the class and told Sharon she had cooties. The good I wanted was fitting in, belonging with the rest of the class. The means was excluding Sharon.

Sin.

Ah, no, we try to justify. I was just ten. I came from an abusive home. One can understand my desire to go along. Well, sure. But that doesn’t help Sharon, does it? And it doesn’t take away the wrong that was done. I saw it then, and I still see it now.

We’ve made quite a practice out of sin. There’s a lot of goods we want, and we’re ingenious at justifying how we get them and keep them. We’re ingenious at justifying putting another down so we can be up.

Reflection

In what ways do you fall victim to the addiction of sin?

Prayer

Oh, God, why was the fruit of that particular tree in the garden so beautiful? It should have been repulsive! I still flinch for Sharon in that particular moment 50 years ago. Help us to see sin for what it is. Help us to see just how wrong it is, and how much it ends up hurting us. Justifications may add some distance, but the wrong, the hurt, the sin remains.