Perceptions #200038

"As Long As It Doesn't Hurt Anybody Else"

by Barry Newton
http://www.sjchurchofchrist.org

As I was recently flying out east for my brother's thirtieth wedding anniversary, I found my bored and tired eyes drifting up toward the in-flight monitor program. Larry King was interviewing the host of a late-night red-eye talk show. The essence of his guest's commentary was that he was in favor of any adult being able to do whatever he desires as long as it does not hurt anybody else.

How does this philosophy strike you? Should a community permit an individual to do anything as long as it doesn't hurt anybody else? As I sat on the plane, I imagined how appealing these thoughts must have sounded to my fellow travelers, as apparent legitimacy was bestowed upon almost whatever they might choose to do.

But did you notice the unspoken assumption? Did you notice the glaring Achilles' heel of this way of thinking? Those who espouse this ethical standard assume that what I do or what I may do with another consenting adult does not affect anybody else! Such a philosophy assumes that I am fully aware of all the influences and systemic effects which my behavior will have upon others. And furthermore, it assumes that my behavior will not impact others. But this simply is not true.

No Man Is An Island Unto Himself

If he were living today, that man of Corinth who had sexual relations with his mother might say, "This is just between us. What we do behind closed doors has nothing to do with you. Nobody is being hurt by what we do!" But Paul's response to the church was, "Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough?" Paul argued that God's community needed to purge the yeast of "evil and wickedness" from among them in order that they might be fresh dough. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Why? Because our participation in a community affects that community.

Achan may have thought that the treasures of Jericho which he buried beneath his tent in violation of God's command was "just a personal thing." After all, it was he who took them. They were only under his tent. No one else even seems to have known about it. It was only he who disobeyed God's command. But because of his "personal sin" thirty-six of his fellow Israelites died in battle, and then he and his whole family died (Joshua 7:1-26). His life affected the community of which he was a part.

All sin is destructive. It destroys lives and breaks relationships. Sin breaks down not only our relationship with God but also with one another. Humans have always desired to deny their responsibility in how their sinful choices may have influenced others. There is the desire to believe that "I am only hurting myself." Consequently, when I begin to realize the true nature and extent of the influence that my sin can and does have in affecting my community, this can cause me to carry a great burden of guilt.

The good news is that through Jesus we can be released from the guilt of our sins. Unfortunately, it is possible that those ripples we set in motion long ago might still exist, but in Christ we can be set free from all accusation. In Christ, God overcomes sin by transforming us into new creatures created to do His will and bring glory to Him.

As those in Christ's covenant community, let's live holy and godly lives reflective of the purity which Christ's blood has given us, because we are to be salt and light which affect our community.

This article was published in Forthright Magazine (http://forthright.org)

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