Earlier this week, on a particularly sticky July afternoon, my friend Emily met me for lunch. It was one of those Maine days where the sun shines so brightly that the entire world seems illuminated; one of those days where even the most mediocre elements of your surroundings assume a certain glow. After we settled on cold Italian sandwiches underneath a patio umbrella right near the Portland waterfront, we hopped back in the hot car seats so that I could head back to work.
As we drove up Congress Street, I glanced over at the large stone church at the top of Temple Street. On a sign outside, a simple message was spelled out that has been seared into my mind ever since: “Human nature is a reason, but not an excuse.” I’m not someone who would fit comfortably within the realm of religious piety. But that statement—so simple, yet possessing so much gravitas—has been clinging to my mind like my sweaty shirt clung to my back. Not because the idea was original, and not because the phrasing was particularly impressive. But because out of nowhere, one of the oldest questions in the book was smacking my pupils in bold, white lettering. In the never-ending battle between mind and body, logic and emotion, reason and desire, who is the true victor?
Was the message intended to discourage sinful activity? Maybe. It was posted in front of a church after all, so that would be the easiest conclusion. But looking more closely, I realized the phrase doesn’t point a finger, elicit guilt, or take a moral high ground. Instead, it places the onus on the reader, sending a clear message of take responsibility for your own actions, doesn’t it?
This sort of an approach was a wise one on the part of the church. No hellfire, no brimstone, no obscure Biblical reference that would fly right over the heads of much of modern society. No Christian fundamentalist attitude repackaged in a modern wrapper. No Jesus leaning against the sign wearing hip-slung jeans and a polo shirt with a—gasp—popped collar. No typical robes and sandals, either.
Actually, no overt signs of Jesus anywhere on the message board. Instead, the statement settles more comfortably into the realm of general philosophy.
Trying to interpret a statement as open-ended as this one would fall prey to relativity by default, though. But the message in front of the church recognizes the inherent flaws in human character, and places responsibility upon us to do what we believe to be right, regardless of our own personal failings.
Human nature justifies nothing, regardless of circumstances. Actions rooted in human nature aren’t easily placed in the opposing hemispheres of right wrong, but they will always produce consequences, which is exactly what the sign serves to remind us of. I guess that means that in this never-ending struggle, consequence is the only real victor. I’ll have to try and that.
“Human nature is a reason, but not an excuse.” Food for thought.
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