Good and Beautiful and KindSample

Uncurving Ourselves

To understand and respond to the moment we are in requires us to ask ourselves: What are the forces behind the fractures? Why are we so broken? The simple answer is sin. At its core, sin is failure to love. In the words of North African bishop St. Augustine, humanity is homo incurvatus in se: Curved in on itself.

Living into the eternal life that God promises comes as we give ourselves to the work of love, a love that resists the gravity of incurvatus in se.

In Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, the person who resists incurvatus in se was the Samaritan. In his compassion, advocacy, and generosity, he doesn’t turn inward. He gives himself to love. Love for God expressed in love for neighbor. Ironically, the religious leaders who know all the Bible verses about sin are turned in on themselves.

I read this story with fear and trembling as I’m reminded that I can live a so-called morally upright life, and still be caught in sin, turning inward. To be “caught in sin” is usually understood in terms of addictive behaviors. But we are also caught in sin when we fail to love.

So how do we “uncurve” ourselves? To be uncurved is to be oriented toward the good, beautiful, and kind life God dreams for us. But we can’t do it ourselves. The weight of our sin has been carried on the shoulders of Jesus. His Spirit animates our lives, “uncurving” us every day.

If we believe that the full victory over sin will occur when Christ fully renews the world, what do we do in the meantime? I doubt you’ll find a better starting point than confession.

Confession uncurves us. Followers of Christ establish our moral credibility in the world by routinely and fearlessly confessing and repenting of sin. We lose our credibility by refusing to name our sins. To confess our sin doesn’t mean obsessing over our mistakes. To confess our sins—especially together in a community—reminds us that we are all in need of grace. This is the starting point for a good and beautiful and kind life.

Spend time in confession before God. If it’s difficult to know where to begin, you might pray the prayer of confession from The Book of Common Prayer, which you can find online.