Sinners Every One Of Us #confession #spirituality

 

Few things accelerate the peace process 

as much as humbly admitting our own 

wrongdoing and asking forgiveness. 

- Lee Strobel

In the days after my leaving the church, as I stumbled through the painful path of deconstruction, I came upon the Hindu text, Srimad Bhagavatam, and read it throughout the year of 2016, some six years after my last Sunday morning church service.  What I found began to soften the wound from the church's failings and afflictions, widened my appreciation for the spiritual paths of others, and quickened the path toward healing.  For I discovered was that there more similarities rather than differences between the Hindu text and the Christian Bible as the phrasing of scriptures found in both seemed to reflect universal truths of a eternal connection with the divine.  This realization began the process of forgiveness for the hurts left over from my fundie connections and the healing commenced.  My belief suddenly revealed itself to be, if these texts reflected these similarities and other spiritual practices were alike, then perhaps the solution to my deconstruction is to reconstruct, now viewing that since many of all walks of life, religion, nationalities throughout all of time have sought something beyond understanding, there must then be universal truth.  Finally, all paths do, in fact, lead to God.

Recently, I was discussing with a co-worker about one of the ways that therapy has helped in my life  by giving me the desire to be radically and authentically honest.  She and I discussed how most of the general public do not practice this in their day to day life and instead choose to dwell within the stories created in their mind fraught with pain easily released if one should admit and ask for clarification.  However, this is easier said than done, and as my colleague pointed out, most find false protection in the barrier caused by the stories of their mind and once beaten down will leave to the afeard vulnerability.  However, scary this brokenness may seem from afar, once acquired the pieces lost lend themselves toward true freedom and peace.

This discussion led me back to pondering the similarities in spiritual beliefs and how they also relate to therapeutic method.  The practice of 'confession' sprang up to my mind as I began to seek out the many ways that religions and beliefs encouraged this.  Although there are many differences in how to confess, nevertheless, many of the world spiritual texts, such as the Bible, the Torah, and The Quran, have verses on the importance of confessing one's sins and shortcomings.  For instance, some religions, such as Catholicism believe that confession must be done in the presence of a priest, while others believe none are needed to intercede between God and self, both self alone.  Furthermore, although the Christian faith teaches that confessing sins allows for God's forgiveness, the Jewish belief is not of hell or purgatory but see the act of confession as one of cleansing and purification.  Within Islam, there are two forms of sinning, one against God and one against the religion, with the latter needing reconcialition and retribution to follow after the initial act of confession.  

The thesaurus of Merriam Webster shares that a synonym for confession is admission:

       confession:as in admission
            an open declaration of something (as a fault or the commission of an offense) about oneself
    a confession that he had been lying all along

So, if admission is akin to confession, then the act of therapy can align itself with spiritual practice in that one shares their struggles with a third, non-bias party, such as a counselor or social worker.  It is important in this regard that mental illness or struggles are not equated with the notion of sin, however, the therapeutic process of sharing is similar in relief to one's confession  within spirituality. 

Upon this revelation, I return to my earlier resolution that if all spiritual practices share similarities, adding now the process of recovery through the variety of therapy, finally there is universal truth in something beyond which aligns in unity the vast differences of those everywhere seeking for the freedom and peace found within confession. 

Confession is verbal humiliation.

- Richard Sibbes

Where To Find Me

When the lie is deeper than I know

You capture me and You carry me home

You see these wounds and rescue me

You always heal things beautifully

And I close my eyes

And You can still my heart

And I call out Your name…

‘Cause You always know

You always know where to find me…

You always know

You always know where to find me…

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