No one escapes sin. That’s been brought home to us this week. Invading the school houses in tiny towns, gunmen in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania have shattered the American mythology of rural righteousness. We want so much to believe there are pockets of peaceful community yet abounding in our recently Christian culture. But it is untrue. We are all vulnerable. In a split second, peace turns to hysterics. And how deep and painful is our grief when we grieve not only for lost and ravaged children, but also for cherished beliefs. We want to believe in safe places, where sin does not reign. And there is much we can do to be safe, from locking doors to using wisdom on the streets.
But we’ve been reminded again that there’s no geographical cure for sin. The prophet Jeremiah says sin is lodged in our deceitful hearts. Not just those who actually murder and molest, but also those who are angry and lustful. And not just those who are angry and lustful, but all who falter at loving God, neighbors, and self.
That starts to include me, and probably, you.
But the way of escape from both sin and its terror lies before us–a "long obedience in the same direction." Eugene Peterson’s pithy title perfectly expresses the path. Jesus, at the head, is leading the way to his kingdom come, his plan of peace and joy finally being done. We’re still not "safe" on the path in the way we want to be, but we are being led to a real safety, a true escape.
May the Holy Spirit give us power today to both discern and tread the path.