Post 3: Tim Keller, the Hobbit Mug, and the Question of Sin

At this moment in time I have decided to put my feet up and have a cup of tea.  On Monday I received more tea from David's Tea than a girl could have hope for, courtesy of a friend (she felt I needed a birthday present of such proportions).  We also received a wedding present from another friend of mine on the same day.  This friend and I love to drink tea out of what we call "Hobbit Mugs."  These are character pieces that look like something a hobbit would drink out of.  Well, she managed to find mugs for us that not only appeal to the Lord of the Rings fan in each of us, but that also speak to my love of all things Celtic.

So why the long preamble?

Because I am putting up my feet and enjoying my tea in said mug.

I also have a cat on my lap.  He seems to enjoy being a part of this blogging experience.

I was going to read a book, and then realized I hadn't blogged since Monday.  I had intended to write on Wednesday, but we got our kitchen countertops in so that kind of took over.  But the counters look fantastic!  And we can both work in the kitchen comfortably now when trying to prepare dinner!

I don't know... coffee tables, bedroom furniture, counters... I think we're growing up...

Mind you, I type that and then take a look at the Mr. Darcy coaster my mug is resting upon.

This has been a pretty busy week, but definitely a productive one.  I made a supply list on Monday, got countertops on Wednesday, heard from a K-8 school that they are swamped right now but will be looking at their supply list next week and I am definitely on their radar (this was Wednesday as well), got my Ontario driver's licence on Thursday (and what a driving fiasco that was), and then cleaned the house, grocery shopped, and am attempting to prepare a nice dinner for this evening.  I even managed to wipe out on my run yesterday morning (and have the bruise to prove it)!

On this morning's far less eventful run I was listening to podcast by Tim Keller.  The man is brilliant and one of my favourite non-fiction writers and preachers.  He was preaching on the latter half of Genesis 3 and made an interesting point.  The point he makes throughout this message is that Adam and Eve had sinned before they even ate the forbidden fruit.  Keller talks about how they sinned the moment they asked themselves why they should obey God, because sin is when we remove God as the ultimate authority and instead place ourselves in His place.

Keller uses an illustration that really got my attention.He talked about when one of his children was eight and asked if they could drive the car.  Keller talks about how he could've responded by saying "Fine, honey.  Take something that you are absolutely incapable of doing, get in the driver's seat, go ahead.  You'll ruin the car, you'll ruin the family, you'll ruin yourself.  You might survive, you'll be a cripple the rest of your life. Go ahead, just go ahead."  He then goes on to state, "When we decided to get behind the wheel of the universe and behind the wheel of your lives everything began to fall apart.  When we get back under the lordship of Christ, when by the Holy Spirit, by the Word of God, you begin to say 'I want You to be my master"... you begin to heal spiritually [your alienation from God]... psychologically [alienation from yourself]... and socially [your alienation from other people]."

I don't think I have ever heard sin phrased in this kind of a way.  I have heard that there are all kinds of sins, but never that sin is us putting ourselves in God's place.  It made me begin to wonder how many times I sin without even realizing that it is sin.  How would be view of God, myself, and others be different if I made a conscientious effort to be under His lordship?