Fri. 31 Dec. 2021

Redemption

John Stromgren

You’ve heard of arm-chair quarterbacks? Back-seat drivers? I’m sort of a side-pew theologian, like an unlicensed therapist who makes judgments about people, with no training to back it up. Okay, I guess we all do that. It’s one of the many unflattering aspects of human nature. We compare ourselves with others and try to figure out why they’re the way they are. If we have an ounce of introspection, we might ask ourselves why we’re the way we are. But few of us carry it that far.

I know of someone (not a member of the congregation) who exercises religiously, and I almost want to say pathologically. Exercise is great, of course, and most of us could use more of it, but this person appears to be using it for something other than the usual health benefits. It seems to be a way of proving something or earning something. But what is there to prove? Who is the boss who needs to be impressed? Who’s the jury who needs to be convinced, or the judge who’s meting out this punishment?

It often strikes me that when people are working this hard, they might be striving for redemption – trying to work out their own salvation, or earn approval. But few people succeed. If they do, they probably look “self-satisfied,” which is not a compliment. Most of us crave the approval of others – our own assessment of our worth doesn’t usually cut it. That’s another feature of human nature. We need someone else to declare that we’re okay.

My view from the side pew is that people who try to work out their own salvation either haven’t heard about forgiveness or don’t believe they deserve it. But forgiveness can’t be earned anyway – it’s a gift. And it’s offered to all of us, regardless of merit. That’s some pretty good news. Do you believe it?