Of sinfulness ... and book buying

One of the things that would probably need some theological work as an ethical code of conversion is worked on is how Christians from different churches, and from different persuasions within those different churches, see sin.

Many western Europeans live together rather than marrying - are they more sinful, less sinful or just differently sinful from a person who is using a computer to steal money say from pension funds, or someone eating too much, or someone taking the car to the shops when tehy could walk?

I had an interesting exchange about sin with two colleagues recently- one Orthodox one Lutheran. The Lutheran felt that original sin was really where it's at, the Orthodox colleague said he didn't believe in original sin. Sin for him was more about missing the target, missing the goal - which is the meaning of the Greek word which we translate as sin.

When I see how hedonistic parts of our very rich cultures in the West are becoming I suppose part of me does think perhaps some of this behaviour would change if people had a sense of certain things being wrong. Then I suppose it's always easier to identify other people's behaviour as hedonistic rather than look a little more clearly at my own champagne drinking life style. Our very judgement of others as sinful can be sinful.

One of the things that is interesting at meetings like this is that trying to live together, share the workload of the meeting, deal with different debating styles and cultures and lots of practicalities like phone calls, dietary needs and travel plans, can also produce tensions. We are trying to reach consensus about a code of conduct, yet we all tend to gravitate to those people we feel most at home with - it's amazing how quickly that happens.

One of the good things about the refectory style dining tables is that you're always likely to be sitting fairly close to people you haven't chosen to be near - and who didn't choose to be next to you either. But there really can be a grace in the unexpected mealtime conversations with people we didn't think we would get on with, and if we cannot yet all participate together in the Eucharistic meal then we should try to make the most of the table fellowship that is on offer. After all the amazing thing about the heavenly banquet is that each and all of us receive an invitation from God - but we're not told who we will be sitting next to!

On my wanderings around Toulouse yesterday afternoon I came across a wonderful bookshop called ombres blanches - white or pale shadows I suppose. The internal architecture is a bit chaotic, it has a lovely old sofa in a tea room are in the middle and of course the most amazing selection of books. I only bought eight... well it's not so easy in France to find bookshops with a good selection of books in English. The thing about buying books this way is that I always end up with something I probably wouldn't buy if I were at home. Yesterday this was an edition of Thomas Hardy's short stories edited by Susan Hill - it's called the Distracted Preacher and Other Tales. I really couldn't leave that on the shelves to be bought by a less deserving recipient than myself! Now here's a question - is buying books sinful? Better wait for the credit card statement before answering that! The bad news is I think I know how to find my way back there...