A Tale of Two Sins

In the aftermath of another election night, I am reminded yet again of why I put my faith in God and not in politics. Like everyone else, I certainly have my views and opinions about legislation, culture wars, identity politics, and all the rest of the hot button issues that have led to so much division and name calling, but I also hold the lessons I learned from my divorce close to heart and this has shaped my view on politics. Divorce, in fact is a fitting analogy for the political divides in our nation where neither party seems able to compromise or see eye to eye fettered by our broken human condition. My own failed marriage is a reminder that no matter what side you’re on, “we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:8).

Sin, unfortunately, is personalized. We will all hear the siren’s call leading us to destruction. Our attraction to sin unites us, but we are tempted by different vices. The concept is graphically depicted in the Catholic tradition of the Seven Deadly Sins. Gluttony calls to some, anger to others, lust, envy, laziness, greed, and pride tempt us with their wares. Each whispers seductively to the brokenness inside us. They offer a false balm for the pain and insecurities we all carry, each sin promising to take or numb the pain away. Ironically, when we fall into any of these sinful temptations, the pain doesn’t go away at all. Instead, we find ourselves on our own highway to hell.

Jesus tells the story of two brothers. One, wanted to experience every hedonistic pleasure the world had to offer. He asks his father for his inheritance in advance and his blessing to pursue his pleasures. The father does not stand in his way, but gives him freedom, even funds him in his pursuit of a good time. The younger son opens his soul to lust, laziness, and gluttony. He spends money wildly on pleasures only to find them sad and fleeting. The many friends who traveled beside him on the road of pleasure leave as soon as the money dries up. When the partying is finished, the younger son is desperately poor, working the most degrading job imaginable for a Jewish man, feeding slop to pigs. In his desperate hunger he envies the pigs, because they at least are well fed, while he desperately craves sustenance. In the midst of his suffering, the son realizes that submitting himself to his father’s grace is a better option than the continued humiliation of his own choices. He needs rescuing and forgiveness.

When he is yet a distance off from his father’s house, his father sees him and runs to meet him. He dresses him in his best robes and slaughters the best calf in order to celebrate his son’s return. The father gifts him with forgiveness without question and treats him as a young prince. He does not hold his poor choices against him, but celebrates his son’s repentance, his return home. We are all familiar with the younger son and his sins. The prodigal son is the short sighted individual who selfishly seeks their own pleasures even to the detriment of others without awareness or care for what they’re doing. The prodigal represents a good portion of sinners in the world, but he is not the only kind of sinner.

The older son, the one I relate to, was not tempted as his younger brother by lust and hedonism. He was a hard worker. He helped his father run the family business. He was loyal, steady, and true. Despite his good qualities, he too was tempted and surrendered to a sin no less deadly than his brother’s. The older brother opened the doors of his heart wide to pride, envy, and wrath. He was prideful of his upstanding life, while also carrying a deep seated resentment of his brother who had squandered his father’s money. He became envious and resentful of his father’s love for his brother. When his brother returned, the older brother wasn’t happy for his restoration, nor did he have any good will toward him. He was angry at his father for celebrating this mess of a brother, who in his view needed to suffer the consequences of his actions. His father had never honored him by killing a fattened calf despite his loyalty and hard work? in his eyes, his brother needed to be punished. Yet, he was blind to his own sin. Most of us are no strangers to the sins of the older brother. If we nurture our resentment towards the hedonistic prodigal, we will not just hate the sin, but also the sinner.

In the political realm as seen on television, written media, and the conversations in local coffee shops, eateries, and breweries, I see both brothers clearly on display on both sides of the aisle. There are those like the unrepentant prodigal son, self-focused and unaware of the needs of others in their pursuit of worldly desires. The younger son, especially in an unrepentant state is nothing to scoff at. The harm prodigals do to others and themselves is real. They are destructive and dangerous and they will experience unpleasant, natural consequences for their behavior.

There are those of us also like the older brother, so consumed with consequences and justice for those who have hurt or wronged us, that they no longer wish for their recovery and healing. The path of the older and younger son are equally destructive, unless they are able to change course and find their way back to the father. In Jesus’ parable, the younger son is able to reflect on his life honestly. He see his life choices are leading him to profound emptiness and misery. In fact, he is headed toward the brink of hell. He learns humility and returns to his father intent on changing his life. His act of repentance led to his father’s approval and he is welcomed home. In contrast, the older son sees himself as already righteous especially when comparing himself to his wild, selfish brother. He refuses to confront his own anger, pride, and envy. His builds a wall of self-righteous pride between himself and his father and continues to walk further away from the love and acceptance of his father. One brother wanted to change his life, the other didn’t.

I was faced with a similar struggle when my marriage ended. I was very much the older brother. Even today, I struggle to get past the hurt and betrayal I experienced. I clung desperately to the view that people should be accountable for the harm they inflict on others. Unfortunately, that street goes both ways. As we travel into an unknown political future in every sense of the word, I will continue to vote and advocate for what I believe is best for my community, nation, and world, but I will pray that no matter what happens, I will not lose my ability to humble myself and continue to care for my brother or sister. Instead of wishing a world of on pain on those who have hurt me, I will commit myself to praying for their restoration and wholeness before God even when it’s hard.