Hubris: Anime and Reality

Back in highschool I remember one time I was doing an audition for a One Act play festival. The audition was a short scene, but also had a form to complete. On it the last question was something along the lines of "If you could be one of the Seven Deadly Sins, which would you be?"

First, the 'Seven Deadly Sins'. What are they? Well, I always think of an anime I watched named 'Full Metal Alchemist'. In it there were a couple brothers who had gone against the rules of alchemy and tried to bring their mom back to life. They created a monster writhing on the ground while also losing a couple limbs, and the other brother their entire body. They were on a quest to get back what was lost. But the 'bad guys' were these guys with crazy powers. Each had been made from a situation like the two brothers had done and they were named after the seven deadly sins. So that's how I always remember them.

Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Lust. Pride. Wrath. Envy.

Now the anime ended up changing the ending as it caught up to the manga, so there's also a second series that followed the manga to the end 'FMA - Brotherhood', but I'm not talking about anime now. lol

So, point: What was my answer?

I wrote something like 'I would want to be pride because it would be the easiest to hide.'

Little did I realize how prideful that answer was. I don't want others to see me as sinful. I want to be regarded of as positively as possible. To be respected. To be better than others. The actions of lust, gluttony, and wrath are obvious. The lack of action of sloth is also quite evident. The actions caused by greed and envy are a little less obvious, but still not hard to see. But pride. You can hide that. You can appear normal.

In the show (both series) the enemy known as Pride acts as if he was a normal person until the brothers learn too much and he needs to take the fight into his own hands.

But that hubris led to their demise and the brothers win.

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This is where I am now: when I am struggling with sin (whether lust, sloth, or anything) I take it into my own hands. I think "what can I do about it?" instead of just turning back to our Father in heaven and asking Him "how can I just stop and trust You more?"

I've been trying to serve more on worship team, spend more time with the guys I had been discipling, and just trying to make myself better.


I think largely this is pride.


I've heard multiple times that pride was the source of all sin [whoa now that I think of it, FMA-B storyline!!]. It started with Lucifer wanting to be God and so he rebelled. Next he tempted Adam and Eve saying "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil". From that first rebellion against God's will and perfect plans the knowledge of evil and rebellion against God has been passed down through all generations and peoples.

But you know it was the fall, we had fallen from the position we held before perfectly made for a perfect place and in perfect relationship with God and now were left to crave and seek after more, seek what only God could provide.

Ultimately nothing of this world can fulfill that craving. He search for the things that feed it and seek more of it, but never are satisfied. In desperation, our last effort is to try to get back to God; religion. The things we can do to make ourselves better, to bridge that gap between us and Him. Maybe if I pray more? Maybe if I read His words more? Maybe if I give to the poor more, sing and play instruments for Him, teach and learn, got to church; do what a Christian does, that gap will narrow?
 But that's absolutely not how this works.

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind." (NET)

Our works; the acts we do to make us feel better than others. Those works are no better than filth. And if we remain in our sin we shall be carried away like the wind to wither and die.

Only by the grace of God, the completely undeserved forgiveness offered by Jesus' death on the cross. God brought this to be, sent His Son to the cross for our sake; because that gap could never be overcome by our means. He overcame it for us and offers forgiveness. Offers life. Offers Himself.

Instead of doing more for the purpose of earning my salvation, I need to do less, trusting in what He has done and reciprocate His love to others; continuing to ask for Him to work in me eachday.

Just a thought.

Ttyl.

D.Fa

PS. This song kinda sums this all up.

Beg by Shane and Shane.
http://youtu.be/bxtHJ7nkF70