Just A Little Thing

It’s just a little thing, hardly worth worrying about you might think. Yet like a slow, dripping tap eventually it got to me, disturbing my peace of mind. It’s this ‘forgiveness’ thing, and ‘have mercy’ thing, and ‘I’m not worthy’ thing. The traditional Anglican liturgies are stuffed full of penitential utterances.

Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian, was once asked when he became a Christian. He replied, “In 33 A.D.” Barth, like many Christians, believed that God’s action in the death and resurrection of Jesus forgave once and for all humanity’s sin.

In other words, when a person today asks for God’s forgiveness she or he can be assured that their sin was taken care of in 33 A.D. In a liturgical setting the priestly absolution is merely stating what has already been done nearly two millennia ago.

It seems to me that Christians need to accept that, stop repeatedly saying sorry, and get on and live joyous lives. Indeed by repetitively repenting they seem to be casting doubt on the effectiveness of the atonement. You either believe you are forgiven or you don’t!

Now there are some, like me, who don’t agree with Barth. I think that God has always loved and forgiven humankind – right from the beginning of time. It didn’t just suddenly get switched on in 33 A.D. Good Friday to Easter Sunday was a manifestation of that consistent love and forgiveness, shown for example in Jesus’ kind words to his persecutors and in the restoration of his disciples.

Either way, with or without Barth, continually saying you are sorry is not really what God needs or wants to hear. God is much more interested in us living our lives in the spirit of Jesus: loving, laughing, and having lots of fun.