WHAT IS SIN?

by HELEN STEINER RICE

WE ASK "WHAT IS SIN"

AND HOW DOES IT BEGIN,

DOES IT COME FROM WITHOUT

OR BEGIN FROM WITHIN?

WELL, SIN IS MUCH MORE

THAN AN ACT OR A DEED,

MORE THAN "FALSE WITNESS"

OR AVARICE AND GREED,

MORE THAN ADULTERY

OR KILLING OR STEALING,

SIN STARTS WITH A THOUGHT

OR AN UNWORTHY FEELING

LONG BEFORE IT BECOMES

AN ACT, WORD OR DEED,

FOR IT GROWS DEEP WITHIN

LIKE A POISONOUS WEED-

IT'S SOMETHING WE NURTURE

AND THEN CULTIVATE

BY CONJURING UP EVILS

WE THEN IMITATE,

AND THE LONGER WE DWELL

ON THIS EVIL WITHIN

THE GREATER OUR URGE

AND DESIRE TO SIN,

AND THE LESS OUR RESTRAINT

OF UNWHOLESOME SENSATIONS

TO DENY TO OUR BODIES

FULL GRATIFICATIONS-

AND THE MORE THAT WE SIN

THE LESS WE DETECT

THAT IN SINNING WE LOSE

OUR OWN SELF-RESPECT

AND SLOWLY WE SINK

TO A STILL LOWER LEVEL

UNTIL WE BECOME MERELY

"DUPES OF THE DEVIL,"

FOR SIN IS SO SUBTLE

AND IT SLIPS IN WITH EASE

AND IT GETS A FIRM HOLD

WHEN WE DO AS WE PLEASE-

SO ASK GOD TO HELP YOU

TO CONQUER DESIRE

AROUSED BY THE THOUGHTS

THAT HAVE SET YOU AFIRE,

AND REMEMBER IN SINNING

THERE IS NO LASTING JOY

FOR ALL SIN CAN DO

IS DEGRADE AND DESTROY!