In my previous column, I called into question the idea of God sending people to an eternity burning in hell, also known as eternal conscious torment.

As you can imagine, there were many responses and questions to the post.

There were those who asked, “What about God’s judgment?” And others who asked, “Are you saying that anything goes then?”

All great questions.

And while we will get to those questions later in the series, the most prominent and important question that will actually help us begin navigating this topic of hell is, “If there is no hell, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross?”

For those who asked that question, there is an inextricable connection between the cross and hell.

Within this framework, the cross is the only thing that keeps people from going to hell, because it is where God’s anger and wrath were directed on Jesus rather than us. Jesus literally absorbed all of God’s anger toward us because of our sins and, as a result saved us from God’s judgment and sentence to hell for eternity.

Deep breath.

If you go to any church service on any given Sunday or hang out with Christians long enough, you will very likely hear something like this, “Thank you Jesus for what you did on the cross for us.”

And what that means is, “Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross to save me from my sins.”

Growing up in church, I heard all about sin. I sang all the songs about how the only thing that would “wash away my sins” was the “blood of Jesus.” And I was told that I needed to be saved from my sins so that I wouldn’t go to hell when I die.

I had this idea that there were these sins that were infecting me and I was a terrible person for letting them do their bad work in me.

And if it wasn’t the old hymns that I sang that continued to tell me how “full of sin” I was and how I needed to “be made clean,” it was the Apostle Paul writing in Romans about how sin “rules” me and “enslaves” me. That sin “seized” the opportunity and “sprang to life” in me. That sin was “living” in me and “putting (me) to death.”

The implication was that these entities, these sins, were active and alive and doing something to me. And that to be “saved” I needed to be washed of these sins that I have allowed to rule, reign, enslave, deceive and kill me.

The thing we failed to recognize was that Paul was a writer who used literary devices to teach people and help them understand difficult concepts. In fact, after the section in which he uses personification to bring the concept of sin to life, he writes, “I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations.”

Paul straight up tells the people that he is using literary language since they are having a hard time understanding sin.

Paul anthropomorphizes sin, or gives it human characteristics, as a teaching tool.

But as modern day readers, we have a real tendency to read ancient Scriptures flatly and at face-value, taking everything literally. And as a result, we have taken this literary language and created theologies and doctrines about sin as an entity that infects us and enslaves us and that needs to be cleaned, cured, washed away and put into remission.

All the while, we have been told that we are horrible wretches who deserve God’s wrath, punishment and hell because of our sins. And then, we have turned Jesus and the cross into a cosmic magic trick to take away these sins, these dark stains, these evil blemishes so that we will be saved from God’s wrath and escape the flames of hell.

But of course, I have a few questions about all of this.

What if this narrative has been wrong all along? What if our misunderstanding of Paul’s literary language led us to certain conclusions about sin that were just plain wrong? What if sin isn’t something that has to be cured or put into “remission” in order to save us from hell? What if sin is something else entirely? And what if an accurate understanding of it will help us understand what hell really is?

I don’t know about you, but I am eager to find out.

I have previously written about the original Greek word for sin, hamartia, and that it means to be without a share in, or to miss the mark, or to stray. As you have heard before, it is a Greek archery term that indicates “missing the mark.” It is a relational position. In fact, to go a bit deeper, the root words for hamartia are- a/ (not) and /meros (a part, share of), which I find absolutely fascinating.

The word hamartia indicates that in our relational disunion with God, we are not taking part in our part or share of this abundance.

That is the definition of sin.

And it sounds a whole lot different than everything we’ve been told.

When we live out of our relational disunion with that which is life and love, namely God, our lives begin to look less than life and love. And that is truly what sin is. It is living out of disunion with God.

Sin is not a thing. Nor is it an entity that infects us. It is a position of disunion out of which we begin to live our lives. And our sins are simply an outflow of this broken relationship. So when you hear a line like, “For the wages of sin is death,” it is not talking about an entity that infects us and causes us to die. Rather, it is the price we pay for living in disunion from the one who gives life.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that God’s intention for us has never been about sending us to heaven or hell because of our “sins.”

God’s intention has always been welcoming us back into a relationship, into union. It has always been about reconciliation, or bringing each of us back together with God in wholeness (shalom). It has always been about God offering us life in an abundant relationship and longing for us to enjoy our portion of this abundance.

You don’t believe me? Let’s look at a few parables and stories of Jesus. Because what you will discover is absolutely, positively mind-blowing. And I promise you have never looked at sin, the cross or the idea of hell from this perspective.

Brandon Andress of Columbus is a former local church leader, a Christian book author, a current iTunes podcast speaker and a contributor to the online Outside the Walls blog. His latest book is “Beauty in the Wreckage: Finding Peace in the Age of Outrage.” He can be reached at his website, brandonandress.com.

Walking into a room of multiple, pint-sized couches in bright greens and blues, and whimsical, alphabet-oriented rugs, Pastor Tony Garris smiled as he envisioned the future.

“It’s exciting to get ready to be up and running,” he said.

Garris, pastor of Healing Waters Full Gospel Ministries in Columbus, referred to the church’s new Christian child care center to be named Healing Waters Daycare. The facility is about to open by mid-August at 2330 Midway St., next door to the church. The 7,200 square-foot space — part of that will be completed later as an expansion — previously had been Nancy’s Nook and Nursery for years locally.

Initially, about six trained staff using a pre-kindergarten curriculum will have an initial capacity to care for about 50 children, from 6 weeks old through age 5, according to organizers.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

“This looks so awesome,” Garris said, passing credit to Susie Kelley, center director, and a team of volunteers.

Those volunteers have done everything from replacing the facility’s flooring to securing child-oriented decor to even cleaning toys to be used.

“We have had so much help,” Garris said.

Kelley, who taught for 12 years at a Christian school, got the idea for the outreach about seven months ago as a practical way to serve the community. About two weeks after she and Garris initially discussed the idea, they noticed a story in The Republic in which residents and others discussed the serious need for affordable, quality child care.

“I told the pastor that I believed that was confirmation,” Kelley said. “When the Lord gives you an opportunity, you can lose it if you don’t use it.”

“It was a God thing,” Garris said.

Kelley mentioned that she aims for a nurturing atmosphere “in a safe environment where we can teach kids things like right from wrong, how to share and show them positive ways to relate to others.”

Healing Waters church member Sally Cowan already plans to bring her 3-year-old great-granddaughter to the day care. She is familiar with Kelley’s teaching skill and nurturing since Kelley taught Cowan’s granddaughter a few years ago, and praises the instructor’s way with children.

“Obviously, it’s important that she’ll be able to learn basics that relate to reading, writing and arithmetic, so to speak,” Cowan said, acknowledging that preparing for kindergarten is important. “But it’s also very important to me that she be somewhere to learn about Jesus.”

Garris mentioned that the new program will accept child care vouchers. Ideally, he wants to use the church’s 119-acre lake property in conjunction with the day care for outings for the children and parents.

The pastor also said he sees the day care as “another way to open doors” for people needing God’s love.

He does want families of enrollees to know that the church is available to serve them. He is passionate about allowing God to use him for the sake of others after he says Jesus dramatically delivered him from depression, drugs and alcohol in 1995.

“I’m still excited about that,” he said.

And about the future of caring for children.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Healing Waters Daycare” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Where: 2330 Midway St. in Columbus (at the site of the former Nancy’s Nook and Nursery).

Opening: Probably by mid-August.

Operated by: Trained staff from Healing Waters Full Gospel Ministries next door.

Influence: Christian-based pre-kindergarten teaching and curriculum.

Cost: To be determined. Will accept vouchers.

Initial enrollment: Up to 50 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

Information: Susie Kelly at 812-603-6506 or healingwatersdaycare@gmail.com

[sc:pullout-text-end]