Yesterday was trash collection day. I went for my usual morning walk and came upon an unpleasant sight. Someone had rolled their container out to the curb the night before with way too many bags. The overflowing container was raided during the night by hungry animals and now in morning light trash was flying all over the neighborhood. What struck me at that moment was how one person's inappropriate disposal of their trash had now become another person's problem.

Not too unlike our sin I thought. When sin is not properly disposed of by confession, repentance, and taking it to the cross, it overflows and affects everyone we come in contact with, especially those who are really "close neighbors". It was a good reminder that there is no such thing as my own personal private sin. I wonder how many lives are cluttered with my resentment, anger, unforgivness, jealousy, pride etc.

The trash made me think of Pixar's movie Wall-E where the whole earth is made uninhabitable because of human waste. Perhaps what is going on in the natural is a picture of what is taking place in the spiritual. If we want to clean up the environment maybe we ought to start in that realm first. If we only understood that God has provided a way out of the mess, a way into new life and new creation.

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed". Isaiah 53:5.