SIN AND THE ARCHER

The English word “SIN” is actually a term rooted in the ancient Greek and taken from archery competition. Sin simply means failing to hit the target. It means being less than perfect. It doesn’t mean you’re a criminal, or an evil person; it just means you need more practice to get it right. The original Greek word is “hamartia” and means “missing the mark.”

This, we should find comforting. Imagine God/Source within as a loving archery instructor, standing close as you draw the bow, his hand steadying yours, whispering in your ear, “A bit higher, a bit further up, hold it steady. Now!” And if you miss the mark ... well then, simply try again.

You see, it makes no sense when people assume that their success in life is as a result of God blessing them, because it then implies the opposite: the lack of success is God witholding his blessing from others who are NOT successful. It also makes no sense when people take their good health as a sign that God/Source is favouring them because that then says - ill health - is God NOT favouring one who is ill. The same with thanking God/Source for the food on our table. Being in a state of thankfulness and thanksgiving is fine, but if you're thanking Deity for providing YOU with food, what about the other millions of people who go hungry? Has God walked out on them and favoured you?

Being alive is our blessing. Life is our gift. I’m not saying that God isn’t blessing us when things go well. After all, the Greek word for “blessing” is “eulogia” which means to speak highly of someone ... as in a Eulogy spoken at a loved one's funeral. It is US using the power of God/Life within, to bring about goodness through karma ... Cause and Effect. But God has no favourites. Even the OT Bible records “God is no respecter of persons.” Blessing or cursing, it may be the same thing when you step out of time and out of being human. We need to stop worrying about punishment and reward, and concentrate on just experiencing the now. Enjoy the moment. We're here to learn and discern.

For me, being a “sinner” can be a very good thing. It means there's room for improvement ... and I AM a student - enrolled in Earth School - here to learn and re-member. It means I need to keep practicing and spending time with our Inner Trainer - The Voice of Wisdom & Truth - Our Higher-Self, and learning more and more how to hit the target ... and of course, aim at the right one.

Remember, even when we get good at that, there is always plenty of room for improvement. We need to realize that “sin” is not actually the thing we were taught it was ... and it was taught to us by people who didn’t understand it themselves. Question everything. The answers are within.

Just a thought ...

Justin Taylor, ORDM.