Sin as wounding the other

In Shusako Endo’s book (Silence – cf. the previous blog), a recurring motif is the feeling of a believer that God is silent in the midst of suffering. The motif of silence is therefore mentioned repeatedly in it. At a certain stage the priest is arrested and locked up in a hut. He loses all sense of time. He experiences this negatively because it means that he cannot celebrate the important religious festivals. He tries to pray, but his prayers feel empty and hollow. His attention is drawn by laughter and conversation of the guards outside his hut. Their laughter and talking make him feel that they are completely indifferent to his fate. This makes him think that sin is not what people normally think it is. Sin is not to steal and lie. It is “for one man to walk brutally over the life of another and to be quite oblivious of the wounds he has left behind.”

These comments of the character made me think deeply. We are aware of how we harm others consciously. But sin is much deeper than this. To avoid sin, one has to be sensitive, aware, think twice, guard you words, to be loving so that one does not even harm the other without being aware of it.

This is what we need for a holy lifestyle. This is what we need so that we do not even unconsciously do something that wounds others. The priest’s thoughts on sin reminded me of the wise words spoken so many centuries ago to those on the mountain. Count your words, be aware how you can wound the other (Raka!). And do not think that you will not face the consequences of harming others. “Be watchful!” is an expression which Jesus often uses.

And immediately after this description of sin by the priest, Endo writes the next sentence, “And then for the first time a real prayer rose up in his heart.” When one recognizes sin, it brings you in the presence of God.

Wonderful book with fascinating insights about suffering and sin.