Because one cannot understand sin, one may be tempted to doubt its reality. Or call it relatively harmless mischief – like violating a code of obligations intended for somebody much better than I am. Humiliated by my inability to will sin away, I may try to imagine it away, or to rationalize my situation. But denial merely renders its destructive effects invisible to me; this is blindness to danger, not freedom. We make no progress by forgetting sin and concentrating on “positive realities” – because progress is a matter of a deeper apprehension of truth. Spiritual growth is hastened considerably by our becoming more aware of the reality of sin in our life. This must cause grief, because delusions and complacency will be shattered. Completing the process will involve long labor, under grace – a lifetime spent repairing damage and minimizing future harm.
Michael Casey, OSCO
Toward God, p. 151
