From Forward Day by Day
Psalm 79:8 Remember not our past sins; let your compassion be swift to meet us; for we have been brought very low.
The idea of people being punished for sins committed by others is hard for us to grasp these days, but it appears often in scripture. Various writers refer to themselves as liable for the sins of their ancestors, or they depict God destroying whole families in revenge for the sins of individual members. While I reject the idea that people suffer because God is punishing them for anybody’s sins, I think it’s important to recognize that the sin is not only about an individual distancing him or herself from God. Sin is also a group activity.
Fortunately, so is goodness. By God’s grace, we have some power in this situation—the choice to infuse our common experience with the same old evil or with new life. May God use us as conduits for grace, and may our choices work together in the name of Christ to help rid humanity of its ancient burden of sin.
