As I participated in worship yesterday and as I was listening to the sermon being delivered I thought to myself, "Now this is a sermon from which a blog post could be born." The scripture about which the minister was preaching was Ezekiel 18:1-9. Historically it is believed that this text was written during Israel's exile in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem and before Israel was set free to return to the promised land. It's probably a time in Israel's history when collectively Israel was feeling sorry for itself. The collective consciousness of Israel was trying to figure out just how they got to where they were. Where once they were powerful under the leadership of King David now they were broken and exiled to a foreign land living under the rule of a foreign king.
The scripture begins with God speaking to Ezekiel giving him directions, telling him the message that is to be relayed to the people. The people believe that their sinfulness is passed down to them from the generations that preceded them. So you can hear the people saying, "If only our father's and mother's hadn't done what they did, then we wouldn't be punished now for their sins of yesterday." The scripture records, "The Lord said: Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying, 'Sour grapes eaten by parents leave a sour taste in the mouths of their children.' Now tell them that I am the Lord God, and as surely as I live, that saying will no longer be used in Israel. The lives of the people belong to me--parents as well as children." [CEV, Ezekiel 18:1-4] The text continues on telling us that those who sin against God will be punished and those who are not sinners will not be punished. We are also told that those who turn from their sinfulness will be returned to the grace of God and will have life. The chapter ends with this: "I will judge each of you for what you've done. So stop sinning, or else you will certainly be punished. Give up your evil ways and start thinking pure thoughts. And be faithful to me! [CEV, Ezekiel 18:30-31a]
No longer is God willing to accept two things: the first is this, that the collective consciousness of the people of Israel speaks for the individual's responsibilities; the second, the blaming of others for the choices that we make in our own lives. While God spoke these things to Israel so long ago through Ezekiel they still hold true today. Let me be candid, there is a pervasiveness in our culture of abdicating our personal responsibility and accountability to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I'm a visual thinker and at this point I envision God rolling God's eyes in frustration and disappointment. Perhaps a look similar to that look of disapproval that we may have received from our elders when we misbehaved as children.
The truth of the matter is that indeed for many of us we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and situations that may not have been of our own making or choosing. Yet, history is replete with examples of people who have made the personal choice to overcome those circumstances despite the odds against them. Many who were born into poverty have through determination and education lifted themselves from that situation. Many who were born into abusive or addictive families have chosen to overcome the odds that they too would be abusers or addicts. They have made a choice to seek the help that will give them the courage and the tools to overcome those circumstances.
Perhaps what God was communicating to Israel and to us is this: as long as we continue to blame someone else for the circumstances in which we find ourselves we will never have the wisdom, insight, determination, or fortitude to overcome them. We must, in order to overcome, take personal responsibility for our lives. To have the clean slate from which to grow we must be accountable for the choices that we make. This is not to say that we have to be alone in this process; this couldn't be farther from the truth. Consider 12 step recovery groups: it is companioning that provides the pivotal backbone necessary for recovery. The first thing one does in recovery after admitting they have a problem is to find strength and companionship in God and others who are recovering. Much could be learned in our broader society from the relational aspects of 12 step recovery groups.
Largely in our society, we are mired in the addiction of blaming others for our ills rather than empowered by the victory of assuming personal responsibility and accountability for our lives. A fundamental shift has occurred that has moved us in the wrong direction spiritually and morally. We must, each of us as individuals, seek to do what is right and just. We must, each of us as individuals, claim personal responsibility for our lives and be accountable for the choices that we make. A place to start is to seek the strength and wisdom that comes from a relationship with God. Turn to God! Seek God's forgiveness!
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