Day 4: Love the Sinner... (26th July)

 

The Reading Today

• Daily Theme: Love the Sinner...
• Source Material: Mere Christianity

My Reflection

Today’s passage builds directly on yesterday's reading, diving deeper into the famous phrase "hate the sin, but love the sinner."

What struck me most about today's excerpt is Lewis's point about how instinctively we already apply this rule—to ourselves. When I make a mistake, act selfishly, or lose my temper, I might feel deeply ashamed of my behaviour, but I don't suddenly decide that I hate myself as a human being. I automatically separate who I am from what I did.

Yet, when it comes to other people, doing this feels like a constant moral battle. It is so much easier to collapse a person's entire character down to their worst actions or opinions.

Lewis challenges us to apply the exact same instinct we use for ourselves to everyone else: loathing the cruelty or wrongdoing, while still holding out hope for the person underneath to be healed and changed..

 

Why This Matters

Recognising that we already practice "hate the sin, love the sinner" internally changes everything. It proves that it isn't an impossible ideal—it is just a muscle we are used to flexing only for ourselves. Shifting that same grace outward is difficult work, but it is essential if we want to break the cycle of bitterness and judgment in our daily lives.

My Action for Today

Today, when I catch myself writing someone off because of a mistake or an unpleasant trait, I will pause and ask: "How would I want my own character judged if I had made that same mistake?"

Reader Question

Do you find it easier to separate your own actions from your identity than you do for other people? How do you handle that internal moral battle? Let me know in the comments below!