Infinite capacity for self-deception

I recently finished re-reading Susan Howatch's Scandalous Risks, the only of her Church of England series with a female narrator. The story dovetailed well with the Bible study lesson I prepared this week on Matthew 5:27-32.

Venetia Flaxton, a noblewoman in her 20s, strikes up an unusual friendship with one of her father's friends, a 61-year-old married clergyman. When they begin corresponding about her spiritual questions, trouble begins. Emotional entanglement ensues, and the two of them also begin stealing moments of passionate hndholding, then embraces, then kissing, then petting. The clergyman Aysgarth uses an emerging strand of liberal theology to justify the relationship. In his mind, they love each other, and as long as there is no int3rc0urse, there is no adultery.

This line of reasoning is exactly what Jesus denounces in the Sermon on the Mount. Sexual sin is much more a slippery slope than Aysgarth would like to think. Even without "technical" adultery, the relationship is very destructive, especially to Venetia, a spiritually confused young woman who most needed guidance, not manipulation and exploitation. Because he wouldn't metaphorically "cut off his hands" and give up the companionship, intellectual stimulation and joy of the inappropriate friendship, he ends up in a kind of hell. He wrecks his career and watches several of his children slowly self-destruct. Even when Venetia does find the strength and support to cut off the relationship, she also ends up in a kind of hell. She marries a man she doesn't love to protect Aysgarth, and ends up in self-destructive despair.

The women at my Bible study got into some really good discussion about what it might mean for us to "pluck out our eyes" or "cut off our hands" to avoid temptation. One person mentioned leaving a good job because a coworker flirts with you. Another mentioned cancelling cable and buying filtering software for the computer.

Because Scandalous Risks tackles the slippery slope of infidelity in an unsalacious (yet very readable) manner, I found it a good antidote to the junk I really should stop watching on TV.