Lent 5, Year B
Donna Joy

 

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 119:9-16; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

The idea of a conscience is one that has fascinated theologians and other great thinkers throughout history. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right." In other words, it is our conscience that must dictate how we think and how we live, rather than the dominant culture in which we live. This, of course, is further emphasized through the words of Gandhi who said that, "In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place." Martin Luther said, "It is neither right nor safe to go against my conscience."

I had a conversation with someone this past week who told me that she was suffering from a guilty conscience because of a decision she had made that had impacted negatively on someone she cares about. And, I am sure, most of us, probably each of us, can relate to this condition known as a 'guilty conscience.' Mark Twain said, "A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory." In other words, we all have our fair share of things that may warrant a guilty conscience.

As we ponder this notion of a conscience we may wonder where the conscience comes from and how might we nurture it faithfully, in a positive way. Based on Scripture, I am suggesting that conscience is a gift from God, and worship is how we nurture it faithfully, in a positive way. When I asked this woman who was suffering from a guilty conscience this past week how she might define this conscience that is identifying her as guilty, she said that she understands her conscience to be her own, private, quiet, inner voice that informs her what is right, and what is wrong. And this is what I often hear people say. This notion of conscience often comes from a kind of new age spirituality which guides its followers into an individualistic life understanding and purpose, where each individual is encouraged to search deep in order to discover the wisdom and power deep within the self. In other words, the governing force is the power of the autonomous individual.

So, as a Christian people, we are left with the question... Is this understanding of conscience compatible with the teachings of our faith? And, in a nutshell, the answer to this question is 'no.'

The word conscience comes from the Latin conscientia. The Latin prefix con means 'together with.' while scientia means 'to know.' So, the word conscience actually means 'knowing together with.' The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated as conscience is the word syneidesis, which also carries a similar meaning: 'to know together with, to see together with, to agree together with.'

So according to the teachings of our faith, the root of our conscience is not that innate, individual, private, personal, inner voice. Conscience is when we think with outside help; that is, help from God and each other. It's not simply or exclusively between me and my own, private inner voice . . . it is much bigger and broader than that. We, as Christians, are held accountable to something much bigger and broader than ourselves.

In today's first lesson, Jeremiah speaks of God writing the law on the hearts of every one of the faithful, even as God once wrote the law on tablets of stone for Moses. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that whenever we speak of conscience we are talking about this law that God has written on our hearts - and for Christians, this law - fulfilled/embodied in Jesus - written on our hearts through baptism.

So, conscience has got to come from somewhere.It is not a law unto itself. Indeed, for Christians, conscience is something that God has given us. Our conscience, as followers of Jesus the Christ, is the result of a host of ways that God gets to us, reaches us, and forms us, making us into certain sorts of human beings that we would not have been without the influence of God upon us. Each week, for instance, as we gather together for worship, our conscience is being formed and informed and nurtured and shaped. This is done through Word and Sacrament; hymns and creeds and statements of faith. This is done through the good examples of those who have gone before us, and those with whom we share our lives at this moment in history.

For my birthday this year David made a donation to Stephen Lewis' Grandmothers' Campaign, which prompted me to delve into what this work entails. I discovered that it raises money in order to support the countless grandmother's who are raising the current generation of babies and children because their own parents have died, mostly of A.I.D.S. I read about the selfless work of these older women, and I read about the visionary work of Stephen Lewis, and my conscience was nurtured and fed. I was reminded that as I enjoy the company of my own grandchildren in this land and circumstance of plenty, I have a responsibility to remember and support grandmothers whose circumstance is radically different than my own.

Again . . . the definition of conscience: 'Knowing what's faithful, together with God and each other.' These are all ways that God gets to us and shapes our conscience so that we may become the people God created us to be; so that we may live and think and act and speak according to God's plan... So that we may - with God's help - live faithfully according to the Covenant made at our Baptism: that is...

  1. repent when we sin;
  2. serve as examples of the good news of God in Christ;
  3. seek and serve Christ in all persons, love our neighbour as ourselves;
  4. strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being;
  5. strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.

A clear and well tuned, well formed conscience will lead to a life that looks like this.

The Apostle Paul often refers to his conscience. He talks about 'keeping it good and clear before God and people; continuing to nurture and develop it.' He also talks about the importance of exercising and developing our conscience under God and in the company of each other. This reinforces the New Testament understanding that conscience is that which we exercise and develop together with God. (Not privately within ourselves, but with God and each other.)

What we witness, in our conscience, is the fulfillment of that day when God promised, "I will write my law on their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33). Paul points out that this was fulfilled in Christ. He told the Corinthians, "You show that you are a letter from Christ . . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3).

In his book 'The Conscience: Rediscovering the Inner Compass' Robert Solomon makes the point that one of the gifts of Christ is a particularly formed and focused conscience. He makes the point that conscience, is a gift from God, in which God works in us to draw our thoughts toward God so that our lives may be channels through which God's love will be made known in the world.

So, the conscience is God's law - embodied in Jesus - written on our hearts and designed to lead us toward moral direction; to help us live into the promises made at our baptism. It cannot actually show us how to be reconciled with God, or how to live the new life in Christ. For that experience, we need the Word of God, the good examples and direction of others, and the Holy Spirit's assistance.

Indeed, the Word of God, the good examples and direction of others, and the Holy Spirit's assistance continue to inform and direct our conscience in the midst of the confusion and distractions of this world in which we live. Which is one very good reason why I think we are here this morning, in worship with one another, listening, reflecting, singing, praying, asking, and receiving the continuing active grace of God working in our lives; we are here renewing our hearts and minds in Christ; we are here renewing and redirecting our conscience. And when that happens, Jeremiah's promise is being fulfilled in our midst: God is graciously, intimately, communally, now writing on each of our hearts that which God once wrote on tablets of stone; that which has been fulfilled in Jesus. Thanks be to God.