Missing
the Mark
“One
accident is worth ten thousand meditations.”
Zen
Saying
We
read about ships and planes getting off-course, going in the wrong
direction, and ending up where they should not, sometimes with tragic
consequences. People, too, get off-course. We may do it obliviously;
like hikers inadvertently crossing a border into hostile territory;
or peaceful protesters finding themselves in the midst of violence.
Or, we may do it intentionally, by engaging in a bad habit that soon
has us in its fist, or following the wrong crowd into trouble we
can't escape. Think of the story of the Prodigal son, who left home
with good intentions, and ended up with pigs. We humans have the
capacity for spectacular screw-ups.
In
the New Testament, sin is equated, not with evil, but with
“hamartia,” the Greek word meaning, “missing the mark.”
Getting off-course. Sometimes we gain a course correction in a way we
had not anticipated—by an accident, an injury, or an illness that
side-lines us, and gives us time to think about our lives. We may
wonder, “Why did this happen to me? What does it mean?” Most of
the time, it means, “Change direction, or else!” If we're lucky,
we get the message the first time. Sometimes, however, it takes a
number of blows, depending on just how determined we are to have our
own way.
I
have always thought that Spirit loves us very much when we find
ourselves in this conundrum. She gives us ample opportunity to get
the long view, to see the consequences of our choices. And She is
always there to welcome us when we find the road back home.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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