HT Jesse Turri for leading me to Dr. Richard Beck's explanation of sin and salvation to his son at Experimental Theology. THIS is the BEST explanation i have EVER heard and very succinct! As a Christian agnostic i deeply resonated with his explanation! THANK YOU Dr. Beck!
Here it is:
"Son, sin isn't just about having a guilty conscience, feeling guilty for doing bad things. Sin is about how the whole world seems broken, shattered into a million tiny pieces. And all those pieces fight against each other. Us against Them when we fight or kill. Humanity against Creation when we litter, pollute or make animals go extinct. Creation against Men and Women like we saw in Haiti. Us against God and God against us. And, finally, a man against himself...that guilty conscience and feeling that you are a bad person or a failure.
And if that is what sin is, all these sharp broken pieces cutting each other, then salvation is trying to put those pieces back together again. When you pick up your litter. That is salvation. When you befriend a lonely kid at school. That is salvation. When you praise God rather than curse him. That is salvation. When you forgive people, yourself included. That is salvation.
Salvation isn't just about 'going to heaven.' It's about finding these two broken pieces in life, wherever you find them, and putting them back together again. That is salvation."
