Lots of road construction, distracted driving, and flashing blue lights going on around here. It reminded me of the following devotion from 2/22/12, which also was Ash Wednesday.
"If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty." - Leviticus 4:27
"Ignorance is bliss!" Uuuuh, no it isn't. In 1742, Thomas Gray actually wrote "where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."
Didn't know that? Doesn't matter. You're guilty of a half quote, which is a misquote. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
In Mitch Albom's fictional book, "Five People You Meet in Heaven" he tells of meeting someone in heaven who was killed by a person who didn't even know they killed someone. Based on "distracted driving" stats, Albom's book probably isn't fiction.
Sin is sin whether we meant to sin or not.
I'll be honest; it scares me to think what I've unintentionally done. Ya know, driving down the road, looking down at the radio...or Blackberry. Next thing ya know, I'm a mile down the road, and I don't even remember the last mile. Did I run somebody off the road? I don't know. I was looking at the radio...or my Blackberry. But if I did run somebody off the road and hurt them (or worse), even if it was unintentional, then I'm guilty. That's what God says in today's Bible verse. "[Even] if a member of the community sins unintentionally...he is guilty." - Leviticus 4:27
I suppose then that I should be grateful for Officer Wooten. Who's Officer Wooten? He's the nice Police Man who pulled up behind me with his blue lights on just in time to park behind me at church yesterday. He said he was worried that there was something wrong with me because I kept "bumping the yellow line." Really? Me? I didn't know I was doing that? I was looking down at the radio...or my Blackberry.
Doesn't matter. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!
Ya know, we Christians say we're thankful that Jesus died for our sins. Ya know what? I bet we don't know the half of it!
Oh, before I unintentionally forget to tell you, today is Ash Wednesday, a day to go to church and confess a bunch of sins we know and ask God for mercy for a bunch more we don't. See ya there. And oh...drive carefully...or tell Officer Wooten I said hello.
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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