I am not sure which sin I committed today. Lust, Envy. Not sure. I went to an auto show today with probably 10,000 people and 150 automobiles. There they were, Lotus, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, and dozens of others. They were glistening as their owners dusted off the finger prints. Incredible beauty and lines, amazing restorations and lush leather trim. I was enthralled.

Now I think there was some lust in my heart. There was an intense desire to have what I was seeing. I could imagine driving at high speeds out in the western plains. I could imagine that the smooth grace of those cars could rub off on my rough, wrinkled skin. I could be young again.

Or, maybe I was committing the sin of envy. Maybe I was looking at young men who couldn’t be more than 30 years of age having enough money to own such a beautiful ride. Envy is defined by Augustine as “sadness over another’s good fortune.” Not sure I was sad, just wished I might have what they have.

As I pondered my response to this gathering of grace and beauty, I looked at the title of the event. “Artomobilia”. Oh, so this is art. It is automobiles which are to be appreciated as pieces of art. It reminded me of a recent exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art called “Dream Cars.” It was an installation of concept cars from 1934 until the present. They were there to be appreciated as pieces of art.

Now I get it. I was not really lusting after what someone else owned. Nor was I envious of them of having the resources to own them. Because, really, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for taking care of such luxury. But, what I was really doing was reveling in beauty. And so as I drove home, the primary feeling I had was appreciation—appreciation to these people who came from all over the country to share the beauty and appreciation for the ability to see and experience such beauty.

And as far as I know, appreciation isn’t a sin.

Whew!!

There is a new TV show that has piqued my interest. It is #FWBL. It stands for Friends with Better Lives. It is a comedy that centers around six friends who each think the other has a better life. This new show is not really new at all--it is simply a recurring show that plagues human life. We call it envy.

Envy is a discontentment that we feel when we look at others lives or possessions and desire to have what they have. It is driven by our perception of other's lives as having qualities that we find lacking in our own lives. We measure our reality according to our perception of the reality of another and focus on what we lack compared to the other. Envy focuses on only one part of who the other fully is.

In the history of the church, this is one of the seven deadly sins. That is, it is something that alienates us from God and neighbor. Ancient church theologian Thomas Acquinas says that envy is the opposite of charity. "Charity rejoices in our neighbor's good, while envy grieves over it." Charity, or love is that which is of God and when we love, we connect with the holy one. To look at what another has and to wish you had it instead of their having it is to separate yourself from those bonding experiences that love helps create.

And, it often results in blinding us to the gifts of life that we do have. Our perception of others lives is limited to what we can see and what we assume is happening. Our experience of our own lives is more complex and confusing and therefore may look like it not as good. But, the reality is that most people live confusing and conflicted lives. Most people are a jumble of delight and pain, joy and suffering. Most people have self-doubt and deep fear and anxiety that tends to rob them of their happiness and contentment.

When we see others in a more realistic life, we can live with more empathy. We can see that, while they have somethings that we might wish we have, they also live with the same frustrations and fears that often plague our lives. When we see that, love, compassion, charity are more likely to be our response. When that happens, we discover the presence of God who is loving connection.