A Hubris Based Faith

I learned about hubris while taking a drama history class. It was used most in reference to Greek theater…plays such as Oedipus Rex. His cardinal sin and the moral of the story was that it does not pay to commit a hubris act. In his pride and miss placed confidence Oedipus thought he had out smarted the gods and changed his own fate; all he actually accomplished was bringing his fate to pass by killing his own father and sleeping with his mother! It is a horrific story that you tend never to forget. What the Greeks of the day where driving at is that trying to play god, however well intentioned, is a most grievous sin.

Now I am not a big follower of Greek mythology but this idea of hubris really has stuck in my head. I have wondered how many times I have been convinced that I know what’s best for my life or questioned God’s ability to deal with the big and small issues that I see around me. Now I think when it comes to legitimately wrestling with an issue or with God himself….there is a place that God lets us test ourselves against him. I mean look at Jacob! Sometimes God knows that we need to battle it out and lucky for us our God is not like the Greek gods that would surely inflict some strange punishment for such behavior. No I don’t think God is all that threatened by us, or our doubt or our certainty either. Where I worry we, as a Christian community, are missing a very large boat is when we set ourselves up as the Holy Spirit himself; instead of allowing God to be God. How ever well intentioned, we seem to have taken our roles as disciples and followers to a place that we were not intended to. We are not the power that changes people, we are not the the conscience that strikes at the heart, we are not the judge and jury on the state of a persons soul. The Holy Spirt does these things but I know all to often I try to take these roles onto myself.
I know this is just one way that I have committed this 'sin of hubris’ and considered it a requirement of my faith.
It speaks to how small we can make God. Every time that we decide that we need to change people; we tell God that we are bigger and know better than He does.
Hubris.
We are called to be followers of Christ, not to be the next generation of Pharisees. We are called to be mirrors of Christ, so that all can see the goodness of God – regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey.
I know there are only of couple of you that read this blog but it is very interesting to see how integrated some of these hubristic acts are into our faith. Ever thought about worry as a sin?