We went to a Unity church for a time many years ago. On one particular day, the lady was explaining “sin”. She said, “Sin, by definition, means you missed the mark.” I could totally see how that makes sense. That explanation fit in a way nothing else had before. I could agree with that.
We’re not perfect, nor are we meant to be. I believe perfection is an illusion really and to strive for that is just unsettling to one’s soul. Nothing is ever really perfect and if it happens to be so, it isn’t going to stay that way forever.
New cars fall apart, relationships need tending to, children need raising, that perfect job may become obsolete, etc. Life ebbs and flows like water…there is no real constant except your existence in any given moment.
I don’t think there’s room for shame in life. We aren’t perfect. We may miss the mark. We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got (emotional views, mental views, interactions, etc.). Shame is just someone else saying to you, “You should have been a better person.” You may even be shaming yourself. I think that’s just a way to put up walls, beat yourself up, and tear down your own self-esteem. It’s like knocking down the blocks you’re building in your life because you built a lego tower with red bricks in one corner instead of blue. So what? Are the red blocks doing their job? Do they contribute just like the blue blocks? Did you make a strong, sturdy tower? Don’t knock that thing down, keep building, keep sharing, keep moving forward.
Religion talks about sin and shame, treating a person as if they just can’t seem to get it right in God’s eyes. I don’t think God takes score like that.
I think God wants us to connect with one another. I think he wants us to help others build their towers, cheer them on, and encourage their individuality. I think he wants us to be our best as a sign to other people that it’s okay to do their best, even if it’s different than the norm.
I don’t think connecting with one another means getting a mate and having children to carry on the family line. I do think connecting means checking in on one another, writing a letter, calling someone on the phone, asking if they’re okay and listening to their feelings no matter what they are. I think it’s giving hugs, loving to the best of your ability, teaching what you know to someone else, having compassion for someone who’s going through a tough time of sorts, etc.
This, above all else, is an essential part of what we’re to be doing as human beings. Missing the mark, it happens. Helping one another on our journey, that’s a key right there.