Confessional

Have you ever wondered, Why the confessional box? 

Today I think of the confessions, shameful stories told ~ we all have shame filled stories, don't we dear reader? ~ that I have heard over the years, and how not long after the listening, the confessor, ran away following the telling. Why?

1. Why confess?

2. Why show and tell, and run away?

What does the guilty party hope for, when they divulge, is what I am asking:

1. Absolution?

2. Understanding?

3. Relief from the burden of carrying their guilt solo?

4. Hope for forgiveness, from someone that cannot offer them this relief?

The show and tell of our sins ought to be a painful experience. It ought to be a tissue soaking display of regret and remorse, with tears and snot and puffy eyed self-recrimination: this is repentance at its very best! The guilty party is letting the confidante know, that they understand, that they have wounded others with their actions, that they have injured, marred, and scarred fellow human beings, sometimes irreparably impairing, their ability to trust in relationships. 

The confidante is there as a witness, not as a judge, and yet, there may be a dawning in their eyes, a facial expression change, when they hear the deep dark secrets divulged by the confessor, whose conscience has been long laden, with guilt. Reactions are natural and normal, and so are transitions in understanding: what I mean is, you and I can love a person deeply, and when they feel our devotion, it may incline them to share what weighs heavily on their heart, and when they do, there is a time period during which adjustments must be made, as each person reconciles with the newly expressed information. 

The fear, and this is what we all must combat when we consider sharing intimately with another, is that we will be despised, after the telling. The risk is real, and yet, it is in the confessing of our sins, firstly before God, and then to one another, that we open the door to healing, and also, the possibility of asking for forgiveness from the one we have wounded. 

No show, no tell, makes for a miserable inner thought life. 

Confession is a possible sign, a request, a need to have someone else observe regret; regret, coupled with remorse, leads to wonderful soul soothing repentance. We have to feel the pain of others, otherwise known as empathy, before we can come close to the altar, fall down on our knees, and plead for a reprieve from the horror of having hurt or betrayed, people we said we loved, or strangers we simply did not consider when we behaved selfishly. 

Repentance is a gift of grace. Repentance is the substance from which salvation springs. Repentance has us draw close to God to ask tentatively, Can you ever forgive me for what I have done? Christ is the ultimate confidante, and can be counted on to redeem the penitent. 

I see why the confessionals, the upright boxes used in Catholic churches, with a priest listening through a screen opening while a sinner confesses, seeking absolution. This is a saving face situation for both parties, a cowards way of getting the yuck out, without having to see an accuser, someone who may narrow their gaze and without words, speak, You did what?

Dear reader, You did what? What have you done!?

This question was asked of Cain:

What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground (Genesis 4:10). 

Cain didn't show forth any signs of regret for killing his brother Abel. Cain was concerned for his own safety following this deadly event. I see this sometimes, dear reader, people being so self-absorbed that they think not, of their murderous ways. We are all capable, of murder, with our thoughts, if not evidentially apparent with our hands. 

So I ask you, What have you done? What egregious sins have you committed that you must confess to the LORD, before asking for absolution?

You will feel relieved in telling all to God. He is aware of your activities, and that feeling you have, that someone is always watching you, is valid; you cannot hide from God Almighty, God Omnipresent. It is you that must live with yourself, and wouldn't repenting, coming clean, and sinning no more, feel absolutely fantastical?

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be 

healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).

Consider this: Confessions are good for the soul, and trusting another person with your faults and sins is a vulnerable situation, for both parties. While you may be relieving yourself of a burden, know that the listener, is picking up some of what you are finally laying down. If you truly are sorry for what you have done, and want to sin no more, check in with the person you have shared with, to see how they are doing... the last thing they need, is for you to dispose of all your accumulated sin sorrow, and run away. Relationships require work to be maintained, and each party must conscientiously contribute to the strengthening of a bond, especially after intimate sharing. 

Christians know sin, that is why we need a Saviour. Prayer is our weapon of choice, to combat the evil we encounter, and to ensure healing happens. 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).