The word translated as ‘sin’- hamartia- means missing the mark. We can all agree that we miss the mark daily. We fail to see all the ways God is at work in our lives, to care for others in need, to navigate tests and temptations. The proclamation about dying to sin in baptism is about our relationship with our failures and mistakes. Do we face them honestly and work to reconcile things that are broken or damaged when we miss the mark? Or do we get defensive and angry? Wallowing in our failures and shame are other ways that our mistakes can continue to have power in our lives. It is not about never making a mistake again, it is about how we move forward from our mistakes, trusting that the work of God in the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope and strength to handle it and continue to grow in our faith and trust.
