The concept of sin is pretty powerful to many people, especially certain varieties of Christians. Are you ready to consider something interesting, to say the least? My studies have shown me that the word “sin” is actually a mistranslation. It originally meant “to miss the mark,” as in when an archer misses the target with her arrow. When she does this, is she evil and a pathetic failure? No! She simply pulls another arrow from her quiver and tries again. Practice makes perfect (when you practice the right way). She made a mistake. So she tries again.
I’m not a biblical scholar or a language expert, so I can only share what I’ve learned and let you look for yourself. But if this is true, then this is a horrendous misinterpretation of one small word! What pain this has caused people over the last 2000 years. “I’m a sinner! I’ve sinned! I’m so terrible!” If what I’ve learned is true, then that’s all a bunch of BS. When we make a mistake or wish we had handled something better, we only have to review what happened, learn from it, and try again the next time. No big deal.
So have a look for yourself at the history of the word “sin.” If it really does have a radically different meaning than what it commonly means today, then what a relief! First, let’s have a big, hearty laugh. After that, we might want to see how else we’ve “missed the mark” in interpreting Jesus’ words over the last 2000 years.