a parable for Georgia

I would like to give everyone in the state of Georgia a reading assignment: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The book is not long; most educated Georgians could probably finish it in a few days if they put their minds to it. And they should.

For anyone who has not touched the book since ninth grade English, the story takes place in Puritan New England in the 17th century. The three main characters are first, Hester Prynne, an obviously fallen woman who has given birth to a child out of wedlock and is sentenced to some jail time and the stigma of wearing a Scarlet "A" (for adulteress) on her bosom for the rest of her life. She resides on the outskirts of town and the fringes of society. She is the Puritan equivalent of the modern day sex offender.

The other two main characters are first the town minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, a shy, pious, exceedingly godly young man who has compassion on Hester. He is widely revered in the town as a paragon of virtue and mercy. He suffers from frail health and has a sensitive soul.

The third character is Roger Chillingsworth, a physician who arrives in town around the time Hester and her love child are released from the jail. Chillingsworth takes a special interest in Arthur Dimmesdale and becomes his personal physician for the purpose of learning his secrets and exposing his heart. He is successful on both counts.

As the story unfolds we come to learn several things about Hester. First, that she is truly repentant for her sin. Second, that the public censure she suffers is a severe mercy; she has nothing left to hide. Third, her outcast status softens her heart toward other sinners and allows her to be merciful, even to those who have wronged her.

Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingsworth, on the other hand, both have secrets which eat away at their souls. Dimmesdale, who is actually the father of Hester's child, has not the courage to confess his secret sin, and while he envies Hester her freedom from artifice, he cannot give up his public image and the praise of men in order to cleanse his soul. Even his feeble attempts at a general confession of sin are not taken seriously, because everyone knows he is not a sinner - he does not look the part.

Chillingsworth is scrupulously blameless. He is even, we discover, the one most wronged by the sinful Hester. He is actually her estranged husband though he keeps his relationship to her a secret. As such, he has devoted himself to taking his revenge on the unhappy Hester and her lover, whose secret he discovers. In his lust for vengeance, however, Chillingworth actually becomes the instrument of the devil, whom he comes to resemble in both outward and inward appearance.

So why should the good citizens of Georgia consider this tale? They have recently passed a law which effectively makes it illegal for registered sex offenders to live in nearly any urban or suburban area in the entire state. And they are proud of it. They don't want those kind of people anywhere near their God-fearing state. They probably wake every morning like the pharisee and thank God they are not like that man. They prefer to ignore the fact that Bureau of Justice statistics indicate that 93 - 95% of treated sex offenders never reoffend.

But you can be sure that the state of Georgia is full of Arthur Dimmesdales and Roger Chillingsworths, just like the rest of the world. The former struggle with secret sin but can never bring themselves to admit it and seek help because the cost is way too high. It is far easier to pretend to be pious than to admit that we are like "them." It is far easier to pretend that there are two different kinds of people in the world - the righteous and the perverted, rather than to face the dark reality that our hearts are perhaps not qualitatively different than those of the chiefest sinners. We don't really want to believe that there, but for the grace of God, go I. We don't like to think of the implications of the fact that over 80% of sex offenders are not strangers to the victim, but are instead family friends or relatives.

The latter, and their number is great, destroy their own souls by pursuing vengeance and retribution rather than forgiveness and grace. They vote for the laws which continue to punish people their whole lives; they believe that three strikes are enough for anyone; they are proud of the fact that our country incarcerates people at a higher rate than nearly any other country in the world. They hide their malice behind the guise of protecting children, though they can't demonstrate that demonizing offenders has ever really protected any children. They don't understand that seeking revenge is like drinking poison and hoping that your enemy will die. They have an insatiable thirst.

Are these strong words? Certainly. Which is why I recommend that Georgians read the book. Fiction can sometimes say what preaching can't or won't. Sometimes we come to understand ourselves better in the mirror of a parable than in a lecture or a sermon. Maybe if we get to know Hester Prynne we won't be so afraid of getting to know John Doe who might live down the street. Maybe if we get to know Arthur Dimmesdale we won't be so afraid to admit our own flaws or temptations. Maybe if we look hard at Roger Chillingsworth we will recognize the danger of seeking vengeance at any price. Maybe.