Isn't That Sin?

The culinary stylings of Soleil's African Kitchen

In Pastor Larry's sermon yesterday, he said that sin is simply the act of thinking we know better than God.  I had never thought of it this way before, and I'm still thinking about it.

After the service, S. and I got big plates heaped with West African food and sat at a plexiglass picnic table with Charlie.  Charlie is a round, beaming East Oakland fourth-grader who helped me welcome visitors yesterday afternoon by being irresistible and writing them nametags.  Charlie said he liked the fish, but advised us that the chicken was "nasty."

I thought everything was fantastic, but I took an experimental bite of the chicken to see what he was talking about.  I confirmed my initial impression: it was delicious.  "Maybe it's the coconut flavor you don't like."  He shrugged and wrinkled his nose. 

Three little girls slid in next to me then, and I said "How was Godly Play today?"

"We did a story," said Allie.

"Oh yeah?  What story?"

"The tomb.  Jesus raised from the dead."

"I love that story," I said.

"What'd you guys learn about?" asked Allie.

"Um...about how it's wrong to go our way instead of following God's way."

Charlie squinted at me.  "Isn't that sin?"

I set my fork down and grinned.  "How'd you know that?  Did you hear the sermon before?"

"No," he scoffed, as if his observation would have been obvious to any sane person.  He shrugged again and wrinkled his nose again and left us to finish our nasty chicken.