Back in 1981, an inside concrete and steel walkway in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring and trapping many others. The community people responded immediately and heroically. Citizens on the streets came in to dig out survivors. Crane operators rushed to the scene with their equipment, donating their time.

Later, when the inevitable investigation took place, a large share of the blame for the tragedy fell on the two city building inspectors who’d overseen the Hyatt project. Investigators discovered that these two, along with some other city building inspectors, routinely falsified work logs, often bar hopping during working hours, and merely driving by sites they were supposed to be inspecting. A news reporter followed one inspector on a day when the official later reported that he had spent seven hours tramping around a dozen building sites. What he had actually done was make two quick official stops. He then spent some time hanging out at a restaurant with fellow inspectors. From there, he went shopping and finally left for home well before quitting time.

Was the action of this inspector a sin? Sure it was — but not just because it was a factor in the death of many people. It was a sin back on the day of the inspection when this man issued the certificate saying everything was safe — without actually checking to see that it was. The sin was present in his attitude, not just in the consequences of his actions. Although he probably didn’t think of it in so many words, his attitude said, “I’m supposed to protect my fellow citizens. But I don’t care about them. I don't love my neighbor as myself. What I want to do is more important to me. Forget about God’s laws.”

At the heart of sin is an attitude that fails to honor God or fails to love one’s neighbor. Sinful acts are what follow from that attitude.