The other day I noticed that my kitty, while using the litter box, had missed his target.

"TJ missed the mark again," I told my husband.

It reminded me that the term, missing the mark, originally was used for the concept of sin. It referred to archery, when an arrow missed its target.

TJ's error doesn't sound so bad, yet sin gets such a bad rap. Even in the Bible, we read in Romans 6:23 that the "wages of sin is death." That seems pretty harsh for a minor infraction.

But there is no doubt that we all sin, or miss the mark, on a regular basis.

I love to watch old movies and do so on a regular basis. I find that this, at times, limits the time I spend communicating with family and friends. I miss the mark.

Taken to the extreme, such types of self-indulgence are what leads to the breakup of marriages in divorce and the alienation of children from their parents.

I sprained my knee and need to do knee exercises four times a week, but I get so busy, or so I tell myself, that I forget. I miss the mark. Hence it takes my knee longer to heal and may require additional doctor visits.

What about the vast discrepancy between a murder and, say, one's failure to complete a homework assignment? Are the wages of sin the same for any type of sin, or is it not the type of sin that matters but sin as an indelible stain on us all, the disease of sin, that causes outbreaks of "missing the mark"?

It seems that problems are what separate man from his money, problems as a result of sin. We get sick and need a doctor's care to solve our health problems. In my work, I help companies and some of that work entails solving problems. This creates income for me. We need laws and systems to keep the peace because without them we'd have chaos. These are all indicators that our normal standard-operating procedure misses the mark.

Even with good laws, we have many law breakers, hence the need for prisons and courts to adjudicate. Justice, did you know that that word equals righteousness?

The Bible, in Romans 3:10, says, "There is none righteous, no not one."

An example of hitting the mark is the story of G.K. Chesterton, a British writer who, when asked to submit an essay on the theme, "What's wrong with the world?" replied: "Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton."

It occurs to me that such an understanding of the human condition is indeed the beginning of wisdom.

We read of Jesus in Matthew 9: 12 and 13 saying, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ... For I have come not to call the righteous but sinners." Someone who calls sinners. What a concept!

Kathy Novak is a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes submissions from pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.