Through All Human Hearts

A Lenten Reflection

When the thought flashes through my mind that I am better than others, better than those in other churches or other cultures or the other political party (or more likely that I am better than those in both political parties!), I try to remember Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s well-known comment from The Gulag Archipelago,

The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart – and through all human hearts.

In Lent we remember that all have sinned. None are righteous. As enlightened as I am, certain kinds of people infuriate me or repel me. That is not a morally superior response. That falls short.

I can’t even take pride in how humble I am for recognizing my sinfulness, since that too comes from God. As Fleming Rutledge puts it in The Crucifixion, “the knowledge of Sin is a consequence of the knowledge of the grace of God, not a precondition of it” (575).

When troubles come our way, we are tempted to ask, Why me? We could just as well ask, Why not me? Thanks be to God who gives grace while we were and are yet sinners.

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Image credit: Pixabay congerdesign

Author: Andy Le Peau

I've been an editor and writer for over forty years. I am passionate about ideas and how we can express them clearly, beautifully, and persuasively. I love reading good books, talking about them, and recommending them. I thoroughly enjoy my family who help me continue on the path of a lifelong learner. View all posts by Andy Le Peau