However you read the narrative of Adam and Eve, one thing is certain: sin entered the human race at some point. You may reject the notion of two actual individual persons created directly by God some millennia ago, but our essential nature is consistent with the story of the fall of man. We are created in God’s image, and we demonstrate His character by our reason, creativity, self-awareness, ability to love, and many other traits. But sin taints that which is good, and ultimately builds barriers between us, resulting in selfishness, hatred, tendencies to use one another, rivalries, and the like.

Lately I have been thinking much about the fall, and about the greater and lesser sins that build walls between us and others, as well as between us and God. C.S. Lewis, in his masterpiece Mere Christianity, explores the nature of sin and its various manifestations in helping build a logical case for the existence of God.

In perhaps the darkest chapter of the book, Lewis describes the “Great Sin” and its symptoms. This lengthy excerpt is helpful in understanding Lewis’ perspective:

I now come to that part of Christian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

Does this seem to you exaggerated? If so, think it over. I pointed out a moment ago that the more pride one had, the more one disliked pride in others. In fact, if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, ‘How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronise me, or show off?’ The point is that each person’s pride is in competition with every one else’s pride. It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party that I am so annoyed at someone else being the big noise. Two of a trade never agree. Now what you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive – is competitive by its very nature – while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone. That is why I say that Pride is essentially competitive in a way the other vices are not. The sexual impulse may drive two men into competition if they both want the same girl. But that is only by accident; they might just as likely have wanted two different girls. But a proud man will take your girl from you, not because he wants her, but just to prove to himself that he is a better man than you. Greed may drive men into competition if there is not enough to go round; but the proud man, even when he has got more than he can possibly want, will try to get still more just to assert his power. Nearly all those evils in the world which people put down to greed or selfishness are really far more the result of Pride.

Lewis continues with his theme, but since our current political environment believes torture to be a bad thing, I’ll stop here. Instead, I’d like to share some painful insights on the subject. The irony of that last sentence will become apparent soon enough.

The most obvious manifestation of pride, the one illustrated by Lewis, is arrogance. The arrogant person believes he knows more, knows better, looks better, and has more, and he knows how to manipulate people. Despite the fact that the arrogant person is totally self-focused, he cannot truly see himself as he really is. Arrogance never needs a Savior.

A less obvious prideful expression is false humility. Christians may quickly understand that outright arrogance is unacceptable, so they work hard to look humble and avoid detection. Perhaps you will recall a time, as I do, when I tried to look surprised and slightly uncomfortable when someone publicly pointed out something virtuous I had done. In fact, the virtuous act was done in a way that looked as though I was hiding it, when the reality was that I was secretly hoping someone would notice.

Once false humility is fully internalized, it becomes narcissism. I painfully note that this looks a lot like me (is it narcissistic to make myself the example of a bad thing?). Every time I get together with others, the talk always seems to come back to me. That’s the way I want it. I am most comfortable talking about myself, and others surely would like to hear more about me. Who else combines the wisdom, intelligence, humor, and kindness that I project?

Consider the simple matter of requesting prayer. Does it seem necessary to share more detail than necessary just to make sure others have a very positive view of you? “Oh, I would appreciate your prayers,” you ask, “for my twisted ankle. I was sharing the Gospel with Sad Stanley. By the way, I was able to lead him to Jesus – Praise God! So anyway, on the way home, I stopped at the grocery store to get some popcorn – we always have popcorn when we invite the neighborhood kids over to watch the Jesus movie – where was I? Oh, at the store, I bought the popcorn and twisted my ankle stepping off the curb. Please pray for me.” When sharing a need is more about shopping your character or accomplishments, and seeking affirmation from others, your real motive is pride.

Here are a few simple questions that help illuminate pride:

* Who is at the center of all your stories?
* Are you more interested in what others are doing than you are in telling everyone what you are doing?
* When you are listening to a person speak, do you constantly think of better ways to say it, ways that only you can illustrate?
* Is it hard to see the image of God in others, but easy to see it in yourself?
* Do you think that the kingdom of God is fortunate to have you “on the team” because you are so gifted?
* Is God fortunate you gave your heart to Him?
* Was God smart to pick you because you can reach a particular person or persons?

My friends, pride is found in all of us to a greater or lesser degree. We are not immune to it because we follow Jesus. If Satan wants to attack the church, he can find few better ways to do it than by making Christians the least interested in their fellow human beings and the most self-centered in the world.

May God grant us the grace to lose ourselves in Him, and constantly bear witness to Him rather than our selves.

Tags: Sin

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2009 at 10:15 AM and is filed under C.S. Lewis, Featured, Pride, Sin. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.