Seven Sins for a Life Worth Living - Roger Housden
Though the title of Housden’s book is extremely provocative, its contents are relatively benign. Housden begins by reminding us that the traditional litmus test for a sin according to the Catholic Church is “Did you take pleasure in it?” He argues that Catholic morality combined with the Protestant work ethic has led to the death of pleasure and the enshrinement of busyness, efficiency, and productivity. He invites us to the “cultural sin” of slowing down and enjoying life by experiencing the pleasures of the senses, foolishness, ignorance, not being perfect, doing nothing useless, being ordinary, and coming home. True enjoyment of life takes time. Quick lunches, quick trips, and quick conversations just won’t do. We must learn to “waste time” – which is really no waste at all. If we lose our sense of self-importance, our demand for control, and our constant demand to be “useful”, we may actually begin to enjoy life. Housden reminds us that we are not useless when we are not useful: “A fully lived and passionate life is not only, or not even mostly, about being useful or useless, it is about being” (146). Housden is wrong when he proclaims that “To live a sensuous life is to follow the example of Eve” (32). Eve’s senses were ablaze with glory before the Fall. Her sin diminished her delight and participation in this world. Likewise, Housden is wrong when he states that “Religions of every stripe infer that we do not belong here; that is why they urge us not to be swayed by the delights of the flesh and to keep our mind on the hereafter. Yet, not only is this a good place to be, despite all the troubles that come with the assignment, but deep pleasures come with having a body that angels will never know” (32). The Christian religion – when understand rightly – is completely incarnational, earthy, and pleasure-friendly. It states that God became flesh in Jesus, that our destiny is resurrection glory, and that the whole earth will eventually be restored to its pristine beauty and God’s redeemed will delight in “pleasures forever, joys forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Housden’s “Seven Sins” are really “guilty pleasures” – and they only reason they bring guilt is because our frenetic, efficient, success-driven culture looks down upon the “real” pleasures of this life.