Sloth

Sloth

I have been cogitating lately on one of the Seven Deadly Sins.  We know these sins to be pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony and wrath.  None of these traits has a lot to recommend them.  But I have been spending recent times of inquiry directing my thought toward the remaining sin: sloth.

Fred Craddock, in observing on this concept, said:

Sloth.  What _is_ that?  Is it a three-toed animal that hangs upside-down from trees?  What is sloth.  Is it laying about too long in the bath water?  It comes from the Latin “acedia.”  It means “I don’t care.”

I don’t have the moral authority to comment on the sinful nature of behavior that is apathetic.  But I do feel empowered to observe on the hurtful nature of such an attitude in the life of a local church.  Spiritually, “I don’t care” is deadly.  It robs a person of initiative, of drive.  It makes vital things appear trivial.  It comes to the point where the apathetic person doesn’t concern themselves with whether things – anything – gets done or not.’

Organizationally, apathy is paralyzing.  Within a local congregation, there are tasks that the church must accomplish.  There are financial, property and legal concerns that the church must address, and it relies on volunteers (for the most part) to get these things done.  Beyond that there are nurturing and programmatic activities that must go on if the church is to be faithful to its mission.

Enter the excuse brigade.  “I’m tired.”  “I have put in my time at that job.”  “I am not interested in that specific task.”  “I don’t know how.”  “I can’t.”  “I wouldn’t know where to start.”  Do you know what all of these respondents is saying?  It is all the same: “I don’t care!”

Apathy in the political arena means that voters stay home, and the worst possible candidates get elected.  Apathy in the workplace means that businesses don’t achieve their goals, and frequently that the most unqualified of people rise to the top of the organization.  Apathy in relationships means that families grow apart, friendships disintegrate and – all too often – marriages fail.  I begin to see what the sages of the Middle Ages meant when they saw sloth as a Deadly Sin.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.