The Key to the Dream

In his book, The Real American Dream, Andrew Delbanco recounts attending several meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.

At one such meeting, he sat listening to a sharply dressed young man who spoke passionately about how others had wronged him, how they had taken advantage of him, how he was continually the victim of others’ attacks. Now, he would get his revenge.

He spoke of “believing in himself,” “taking control of his life,” “toughing it out.” It was obvious that his pride was wounded. As this man continued to talk, another man quietly leaned over to Delbanco and said, “I used to feel that way too, before I achieved low self-esteem.” He realized that pride is the enemy of hope.

My problem, your problem, David’s problem--we see it over and over in the Psalms, particularly Psalm 51--is that because of sin we all have a wrecked relationship with God, other people, and the whole created order.

But there is a sense in which the recognition of the reality of sin is good news--very good news. We are not helpless victims of blind psychological, biological, or cosmological forces. We are not being swept along by some aimless, mindless current. We are fallen, sinful humans for whom there is hope!

We must confess our sins to God and receive His grace through faith alone, in Christ alone. That’s our hope: “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.”