The violence erupting in Ferguson, Missouri is not really about racial tension or socio economic inequality. It’s not about class struggle or police brutality or social injustice.
It’s a symptom of a much deeper poison which I call the Dynamic of Blame.
Rooted within every human heart is the stain of original sin. Now, when we think of “original sin” we usually think this means we have inherited a tendency toward selfish sinfulness simply by being human.
OK. That’s not wrong, but I want to dig deeper. When I say “original sin” I’m talking about the sin that was the origin of all sin. This is the original sin–the sin which was at the beginning.
What sin was at the beginning? It was first the sin of pride which is to say, “I want to be like God.”
That was the original temptation wasn’t it?
“Here…” says the Father of Lies “If you eat this fruit you will have wisdom and knowledge like God.”
So the original sin is to want to be like God.
Everything else tumbles after that like dominoes.
After the disobedience comes the culture of blame.
Whenever someone calls us out our first instinct is to say, “It’s not my fault!”
The next instinct (if it is not my fault) is to find someone else who is at fault.
So God comes to Adam and says “Did you eat of the fruit that I told you not to eat?”
“She made me do it!”
Then the crunch. He actually blames GOD for the problem!
“It was the woman you gave me….” In other words–“It’s your fault God. Not mine.”
So the story continues. “Eve did you eat of the fruit?”
“The devil made me do it.”
See? This is the original sin. It is always somebody else’s fault.
