Revisioning the Seven Deadly Sins

I love the movie Seven. All the suspense of a thriller, some twisted religious content, some psychological derangement. It is all there.

Lately though, I have been doing some thinking about the 7 deadly sins. I think that although I disagree with the whole layering of sin in Catholic orthodoxy, they provide helpful signposts for sinful behavior, much like the 10 commandments. As such, they wake us up that the trajectory of our life may be going in a way that we do not desire.

When I think of the 7 deadly sins though, I imagine people who have intentionally turned to the dark side of their nature in some gross, huge way. And maybe many who committ these sins have. However, when I think of the seven deadly sins of late, I think of them more as distractions. They are not big bad monsters that we buckle under to as often as they are simple distractions that often have huge unintended consequences. How easy it is to become a glutton without realizing it! How easy to become slothful inperceptably!

Most of us think of evil like we think of strip clubs, big neon buildings on the edge of town that we have to work our way around to get to. Sin in my life is more like running out of gas because I didn't check the fuel gage. I didn't intend it to, but the distractions in my life have left me in a place where I am in danger and I am alone, and I need help to find my way out...

Anyway...a few thoughts....