Catholic Life

Original Sin: Time To Ask For Directions

by Jacki Popadich

Perhaps you've read or heard this urban legend: A couple brings home their newborn son from the hospital. They introduce the new baby to their 3-year-old daughter. She asks her parents to leave her in the room alone with her new brother for a few minutes. The parents agree, but hesitantly. They leave the door open just a crack so they can keep an eye on what is going on. They hear the little girl say to the new baby, "Hey, little brother. Can you tell me what God is like? I'm starting to forget."

From this story, it sounds as though this little girl is starting to truly experience original sin. Yes, just starting to experience it.

by Jacki Popadich

Perhaps you've read or heard this urban legend: A couple brings home their newborn son from the hospital. They introduce the new baby to their 3-year-old daughter. She asks her parents to leave her in the room alone with her new brother for a few minutes. The parents agree, but hesitantly. They leave the door open just a crack so they can keep an eye on what is going on. They hear the little girl say to the new baby, "Hey, little brother. Can you tell me what God is like? I'm starting to forget."

From this story, it sounds as though this little girl is starting to truly experience original sin. Yes, just starting to experience it.

Origins of Original Sin

Original sin is more than just Adam and Eve, though our understanding of it does begin with them. It is in Adam and Eve that we see the choice of self before others, and ultimately, before God. They were given the gift of free will, and had the ability to choose others or God, but instead put themselves first.

Thus we are all born into the human condition. We have all been given free will. But with free will, we are free to choose God and others first or to choose ourselves first. Original sin is more the sin of origin or human condition than it is the first sin.

Check the Map

One understanding of original sin goes like this: when we are created, God gives each of us a map of who we are to become, and how to return to God. As we live our lives, we lose that map, through the choices we make, or the choices taught to us by others.

When we no longer have that map, we start making wrong turns. Sometimes we don't even bother to stop and ask directions. We learn to make these choices as those around us choose. Sometimes we choose love -- that is, to put God and others first. Other times we choose to alienate God and others by placing ourselves first and foremost.

This brings us back to the little girl from the story. It sounds as though she knows she's got a roadmap, and wants to remember how to make the right choices.

Stop in to Ask Directions

There are upsides and downsides to everything in life. It is no different for original sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to original sin as the "reverse side of the Good News that Jesus is the Savior of all men, that all need salvation, and that salvation is offered to all through Christ," (CCC 389).

The Good News is our baptism. When we are baptized, we are cleansed of original sin.

But baptism is more than that. It's an introduction to a community of believers, all of whom know they have a roadmap. And all of whom are stopping to ask directions. In this community, we can receive the support, the love, and the information we need to be able to make the right choices and return to God.