I read an article by the Rev. Dr. John Wilkinson, in which he talks about the wretchedness of humanity. He wrote about how the Presbyterian Brief Statement of Faith, written in commemoration of the southern and northern Presbyterian denominations reuniting in 1980, after having split during the Civil War. In the debate about words, the phrase “we deserve God’s condemnation” was changed to “we deserve God’s judgment,” and then changed back again. Do we “deserve” either?
It would seem from the article that he and most Christian theologians through the centuries, especially those who fly the Calvinist flag, believe that humanity is at its foundation sinful—”total depravity” being one of the foundations of Jean Calvin’s theology. Quoting the Confession of 1967, Wilkinson goes on to state that “All human virtue, when seen in the light of God’s love in Jesus Christ, is found to be infected by self-interest and hostility.”
The 1990s show, “Friends,” has an episode about that. Was there such a thing as a truly selfless act? If one feels good about doing something good for someone else, does that negate any potential selflessness that may have initiated the act? Phoebe tried so hard to not feel good about selfless acts, but she could not succeed.
I believe that our behavior is often infected by self-interest, whether or not it is hostile. But I’m not sure I am willing to say it’s “mostly” the case. Like police officers who deal with the some of the most challenging people and would, therefore, tend to see the world through the lens of their concentrated experiences, pastors are often witness to the darker side of human behaviors. We easily become targets for people acting out of their own anxiety or self-interests, and we often suffer for it. A good portion of our time is spent dealing with problems, usually other people’s problems. I’d say it’s not entirely surprising that pastors and theologians would view the world through the lens of the “problems” of the world. But, I am also privileged to witness the beauty of humanity through acts of grace, tenderness, and selflessness.
My first call as a minister was in Centerville, Ohio. I was introduced to a group called “The Optimist Club.” It was kind of like Rotary or Lions Clubs. I didn’t realize at the time that it is a national organization that focuses on trying to help impoverished or underserved youth—a noble cause, for sure. This was not the PollyAnna style of optimism: ignore the bad and pretend everything is good until you believe it is good. These folks were realists. But, they had faith in humanity and chose to see the good in people and situations.
I used to believe in the whole “original sin” theory, that we have “genetically” inherited sin from the first mythical humans written about in Genesis. We are built for survival, yes. And sometimes that drive leads us to do things we might not otherwise do, whether or not we are in survival mode. But what I see in the world is mostly people trying to both survive and thrive. The people I meet are working and seeking to be good people contributing to their communities. Sadly, the headlines make it seem that there are only people who do bad things. But, take a look at apps like Nextdoor. There you’ll see neighbors helping and looking out for neighbors. Yes, there is the occasional troll who wants to come in and take out their self hatred on everyone else. But, by and large, it’s just people helping people.
I truly believe in my heart that we are created “good,” as the first story in Genesis claims (before the whole “sin” episode in Chapter 3). We are not corrupted, but sometimes we are misguided in the choices we make. There are circumstances that give us impossible choices without any good options: do something bad or do something worse because that is all you are able to do. But the vast majority of the time, I see people trying to make good choices for themselves, their families, and their communities. I see people trying their best to do what is right. Yes, we’re going to mess up. Yes, we’re going to make decisions based on the information we have in any given moment that are going to cause a conflict with the needs and desires of others, and we may look back later to realize we may not have made the best decision. It’s just inevitable. But that does not make us sinful by nature. We are a “survival” species, and sometimes that survival instinct is strong, driving us to do things we often don’t even want to do. The Apostle Paul writes about how he is sometimes driven to do the things he knows he shouldn’t, and avoiding the things he knows he should do (Romans 7.15).
As Christians, we follow in the Way of Jesus, which is a way of grace. Jesus taught us to learn to be aware of our instincts and when they’re driving us, especially when they go awry. Jesus taught us to “practice” our faith in such a way that the good stuff becomes the habit, that we might be driven by love rather than fear, grace rather than scarcity, and hope rather than despair. “Do not fear,” it is said in scriptures over and over. When we are afraid, do as the psalmists do: acknowledge it, name it, and then lean into the everlasting love of God. God may not “protect” us from the harm about to befall us, but with God’s love we can face it head on, having named our fear, and moving forward in spite of it (which is a definition of courage borrowed from Nelson Mandela).