What Is Sin? Poem by Andrew Fields

What is sin?
Sin in the original Greek is an archery term meaning, "to miss the mark", and throughout history it has…
No. This is sin.

A twelve-year-old boy sits on a bus:
He hears all these stories from his "friends" about these cool websites.
Night falls, and his parents are asleep.
A laptop creaks opens, a URL is plastered to the search bar,
and a sock is snatched from its hiding spot in the dresser.
Minutes later it's flung away, taking with it an innocence he never knew he had.
But it wasn't just a website.
It's a lifetime of seeing women as "breasts, butts, and curves".
It's the beginning of the inability to have a conversation with an image barer of God.
It's not wanting a partner in faith, but an object of lust.
It's the loss of sight.
This is sin.

What is sin?
Sin is action in opposition to the will of God resulting in separation from Him and eternity spent…
No. This is sin.

A worship leader walks into church,
Eyes sunken, face pallid, spirit worn,
But he smiles at each member as he walks by.
He smiles to hide the fact that he is stressing,
Stressing over the songs set, over the graphics,
Over the opinions of the congregation regarding new "insert change here".
He worries about the work to be done,
The Christmas concert to come, the musicians to corral, the presence of God to be brought.
He thinks this is acceptable, that his burden is for the glory of God,
But it isn't glorifying.
It's a lack of surrender, and a lack of faith.
It's saying to God, "I don't think you can get this, so don't worry, I've got it."
It's burying himself in actions and busyness to avoid basking in terrified awe of the Lord.
It's fake worship.
This is sin.

What is sin?
Sin is the continued rejection of God's grace toward mankind through the sacrifice of His...
No. This is sin.

A woman sits in her apartment, crying, looking at the needles on the counter.
She can't understand the pain of what has defined her life.
Not only has she lost her husband,
Not only has she lost her job,
Not only has she lost her home,
But now she has lost her meaning for existence, her purpose.
"There's only one solution, " she thinks to herself,
"Only one thing I can do to protect myself from the pain and hurt."
But it's not about protection.
It's about self-indulgence masquerading as self-pity.
It's knowing that God isn't powerful enough, or doesn't love you enough.
It's assuming that the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE somehow messed up.
It's pride.
This is sin.

What is sin?
Sin is action without love. It is an abomination to God and can only be dealt with harshly by punishing...
No. This is sin.

A man trudges along a narrow street, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He looks side to side and sees the faces of mothers, fathers, children,
All glaring at him, screaming at him, condemning him for his misdeeds.
He comes to a hill and struggles up it, dragging death on his back.
A hammer hurtles through the air...
"tink... tink... tink..."
The man is lifted up, and blood drips to the ground.
Blood; the color of red, the color of hate, the color of sin.
People thought it was over, that sin was shed by the man that day.
But it isn't sin.
It's an unblemished sacrifice given to save you and I.
It's a chance to lay aside pride, fakeness, and blindness.
It's an opportunity to come before the presence of the King, unashamed and unafraid.
It's the opposite of sin.
This is love.

What is sin?
Sin is an opportunity to surrender our entirety to Jesus Christ to be able to know our Father.
Yes. This is sin.