Anti-Moral Solidarity in Sin

Clint issues a great challenge.

Sin has everything to do with morality and doing "bad things" but neither exhaust sin to the least. Modern theology has had great difficulties swallowing the idea that sin is passed on from generation to generation, inherited. Modern persons, especially North Americans, have little with something that seems so patently false as being punishable for crimes commited by someone else. None of us conspired with Adam, right? How to bring sin to the radar screen?

God-talk and grace-talk is enervated by the idea that things aren't so bad or that God is nice--how could God condemn in eternity eating apples? God's too nice, right? One way through that armor is not the nice/grace/goodness is the angle of solidarity.

"All have been consigned to disobedience." We talk much of solidarity with each other in the gospel in the lines of Galatians 3. How about solidarity a la Romans 11? That kind of solidarity could be one way to wake up to the importance of God in Christ. Not that we're all going to burn but the fact that we are given this life by others, we are equal to all sorts of baddies, mediocre folk, charlatans, and heros. Sin has an anti-moral effect. We can not so easily think ourselves better because we're guilty just the same.

Look, look at the great things that Adam had done for us! Paved the way for us to be like God! And, praise be to Pontius Pilatus, under whose command the Son of God was murdered. These things were done for us and on our behalf by Adam and Pilate. The anti-moral effect of sin's solidarity can clear the space for us being equal to the greatest baddies in the world. Sin means that I am no different before God than Hitler and he and I are no different than any hero.