Used as a battle cry for the condemnation of humanity throughout the history of the church, the word repent has often been received by people inside the church, not as a gentle invitation to change behavior, but as a strong-armed, directive to question self-worth and the quality of their relationship with God. Outside the church, people who are subjected to this approach of 'sharing the good news', react appropriately, as if they are experiencing an unjustified attack from illegitimate zealots.
Christians need to take back the word repent from those who believe Jesus came to condemn us, rather than love and forgive humanity. I really like Thomas Keating's definition of the word in his booklet, 'The Human Condition', 'Change the direction that you look for your happiness.' Choosing to engage in destructive behavior or sin, is a bad habit we have learned, but we are no longer forced to continue engaging in. The Creation story tells us that Adam and Eve believed they were going to be 'like gods' by learning a new behavior - the ability to make a choice between the good and evil. Instead, their actions took away humanity's ability to make good choices - we became lovers of cutting corners, tricking and cheating others for our own benefit. Indeed, we were narcissistic to the core of our beings; Christ came to give us back the ability to choose the good. As Paul says, we are to 'throw off the Old Man, or our habit of worldliness - rooted in grandiose, narcissistic behavior.
Although humanity was duped in the beginning, the unforgivable sin was not eating the fruit - it was refusing to take personal responsibility for our actions. 'Where are you?', God asked, 'we are hiding because we are naked' (getting exposed or being seen for who they really are is the most terrifying possibility for a narcissist to imagine - in order to escape, they hide behind a grandiose, manufactured version of the ego), Adam replied. 'Who told you that were naked?", God asked - then the fingers start pointing in every direction - the serpent, the women, not me! Their inability to take personal responsibility placed a wedge in their relationship with God that existed until Jesus forgave us.
Peace
Christians need to take back the word repent from those who believe Jesus came to condemn us, rather than love and forgive humanity. I really like Thomas Keating's definition of the word in his booklet, 'The Human Condition', 'Change the direction that you look for your happiness.' Choosing to engage in destructive behavior or sin, is a bad habit we have learned, but we are no longer forced to continue engaging in. The Creation story tells us that Adam and Eve believed they were going to be 'like gods' by learning a new behavior - the ability to make a choice between the good and evil. Instead, their actions took away humanity's ability to make good choices - we became lovers of cutting corners, tricking and cheating others for our own benefit. Indeed, we were narcissistic to the core of our beings; Christ came to give us back the ability to choose the good. As Paul says, we are to 'throw off the Old Man, or our habit of worldliness - rooted in grandiose, narcissistic behavior.
Although humanity was duped in the beginning, the unforgivable sin was not eating the fruit - it was refusing to take personal responsibility for our actions. 'Where are you?', God asked, 'we are hiding because we are naked' (getting exposed or being seen for who they really are is the most terrifying possibility for a narcissist to imagine - in order to escape, they hide behind a grandiose, manufactured version of the ego), Adam replied. 'Who told you that were naked?", God asked - then the fingers start pointing in every direction - the serpent, the women, not me! Their inability to take personal responsibility placed a wedge in their relationship with God that existed until Jesus forgave us.
Peace
