In a recent issue of First Things, Mary Eberstadt surveys America’s growing “sexual obesity.” The article, “The Weight of Smut,” is devoted in part to knocking down three common myths surrounding pornography use. It’s well worth reading in full.
One insight in particular, however, caught my attention. It seems that when one exposes pornography for what it is, it’s “practically guaranteed to elicit malice and venom unique in their potency from its defenders.” Eberstadt continues:
What does it tell us that, when faced with any attempt to make the case that this substance should be harder to get than it is, some reliable subset of defenders can be counted on to respond more like animals than like people? If such is not the very definition of addiction, what is?
It was the insight regarding the animal-response that has stuck with me since I first read this article. It’s not just, it seems to me, those enslaved to pornography who may lash out when their sin is exposed. No.
Instead, it seems to me that any of us is tempted to respond like that whenever the light encroaches on our dark places. And Satan is surely pleased that it can devolve us into beasts.
It may be an aspect of the mystery of lawlessness that causes us, at times, to respond not with gratitude but with (un)righteous indignation when our pet addictions, our personal idolatries, are exposed.
If we respond with disdain when our spending habits come under scrutiny, perhaps we’ve fallen into mammon-worship. If we respond with vitriol when our relationships are questioned, perhaps those relationships are inappropriate. If we respond with hatred when our particular political party is critiqued, perhaps we’re worshiping the wrong king.
Let’s be joyful when our sin is exposed. And then let’s repent, and be grateful for the Spirit’s work.
Satan sees when we treat each other not with the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, but the manifestation of the works of the flesh—he sees, and grins. Let’s not give Satan reason to smile.
Let’s make sure that when we speak to one another, perhaps even when our sin is exposed, that we respond like people—like Christians—and not like the beasts.
(Cross-posted from the Kingdom People blog, where I am guest-host this week.)
August 31st, 2010 | 9:44 am | #1
Let’s be joyful when our sin is exposed. And then let’s repent, and be grateful for the Spirit’s work.”
People who contort their natural emotions to conform to a religious ideal often achieve a contrived and freakish result. So while it may be beast-like to react with rage when one’s sin is exposed, it would be positively freakish to react with a joyfulness. Better to be more ordinary here, reacting with shame and sorry when one’s sin is exposed; if there’s to be joy, let it come after repentance.
August 31st, 2010 | 11:31 am | #2
Joy is not happy emotions. Joy is based in deep gratitude and can be experienced even in the midst of great grief. I think of my grandmother when my grandfather died. She was grief stricken and sad, but there was a joy within her that could not be quenched. We can respond with joy when called to repentance because both the conviction of sin, godly sorrow and joy all come from the same source, the Holy Spirit.
August 31st, 2010 | 12:21 pm | #3
There is great joy in realizing that the thing that has been troubling you, weighing you down, burdening you with guilt is actually your own sin — because sin can be repented of, and has been done away with in Christ. “Annoying problems” and “my personality issues” don’t have so clear and fulfilling a solution. And resisting the recognition that the issue is sin (at those times when it is, of course) multiplies the trouble, it does not relieve it.
September 1st, 2010 | 5:57 pm | #4
It takes great humility to be joyful when our sin is exposed…another virtue that is highly lacking along with self-control.
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