Monday, January 7, 2013

Against Persistent Moral Certainty 3: Good & Evil, Fruits & Nuts.

To take on Christ's task of judgment, upon humanity - this is a dumb move. You'd have to be crazy to do this.

Why take upon one's self the judgment of Christ? When Christ has been at pains to tell us "No, don't, really – I have the job covered," - when it really is so wonderfully joyous to let that task go; to trust in God's mercy and justice, and to accept that God alone shall be responsible for meting out whatever vengeance and judgment God's justice may require?

Christ calls you to let go whatever it is in you that causes you to loathe, to hate, to revile, and instead love all. Of all the good news ever whispered in the world, what could ever be more sweet? Imagine: to be utterly absolved of our species' seemingly absolute need to practice upon each other – the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

Basically, to set one's self in God's place as judge of humanity, and of good and evil, is the original sin. Christ came not to pump our stomachs, removing the apple and the knowledge. It was never the knowledge of good and evil that was the problem. Rather, it was the consequent shame and loss of self-acceptance - of acceptance of our selves, and our innocent nature - it was the resulting self-hatred, and then - the hatred turning outward: murder and crime, jealousy and loathing of others, all resulting from our imperfect grasp of that knowledge, from our imperfect application of that knowledge as judgment. Upon ourselves. Upon each other. Our judgment, in place of God's.

Christ did not come to take back the apple. Christ came to take the bite out of it. To take back the judgment that humanity had taken upon itself.

Yet some won't let that judgment go. They stubbornly refuse. They claim knowledge of good and evil, superior to God's knowledge, judgment superior to God's judgment - for in place of Christ, who came of God to reclaim from us judgment's burden, these odd birds will flap and squawk about, posturing and making as if to be themselves the judge of humankind. Or as if to speak for Christ, in judgment of others.

Luckily, this is really easy to avoid doing accidentally, once you get the knack of seeing it for what it is. Doubly luckily, it's also really easy to see for what it is - to notice when people are doing it, and even to gently call them on it! Which you should, if you get the chance. We are called after all to spread the good news, especially to those who suffer in vain under a burden Christ himself has lifted.

As you are confronted by those who claim a persistent moral certainty, you can see for yourself, and ask yourself.

Ask yourself: do they set themselves up above Christ, claiming competence in the judgment of another human being? If so, they can't be in the right. Such a competence is Christ's alone.

Why? Because Christ is the only being ever in eternity to be both fully human, and fully divine. This a job requirement. Don't accept any less, when the position being sought or claimed is judge of humankind.