Kirkepiscatoid

Ok...here we go! Let’s start from the top!

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses
of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins.
Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by thy mercy
preserve us, for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.

My ears definitely pricked up when I heard, “Huh? The sins of our forefathers?”

Although it took me a while, I did finally come around to the idea of “corporate atonement.” It took me a lot of years to accept that part of my sins were secondary to “the human condition.” But hmmm....sins of our forefathers? I thought we got rid of that “sins of the father” stuff.

Then I got to thinking...

I live in a country that gained much of the land mass of the 48 contiguous states by exploiting the indigenous peoples who lived in it, who swindled their way into Manhattan Island with $24 worth of trinkets.

I live in a country where we still struggle with race-related issues, poverty more prevalent in some race-based groups, and a whole host of socioeconomic differences by race, because we kept human beings as slaves for much of the early days of our nation.

My great-grandmother was not allowed to vote when she became an adult.

I enjoy practicing in a profession because I stand on the backs of women who had to move heaven and earth to break the establishment. They were the victims of oppression.

So yes. I have gained in this life because others in my past had sinned.

In other words, much of the life I enjoy, a life so rich compared to many nations in this world, because other people were exploited. So yes, in that sense, I am guilty.

I had not thought much about “sin crossing temporal boundaries.” but it does. These are sins in which no one can make amends, because the window to that was lost by the passage of time. I am the recipient of a debt that cannot be repaid. I can only strive to go forward and avoid oppressing others. It’s a heavy thought indeed.