Day Nine - Guilt

 

Flying with Guilt by Dominic Virtosu (2011)
Mutualart.com

The strange thing about western society is that most of the large scale acts of sin are completely legal. 

The minor stuff gets most of the attention, perhaps to take it from where the really serious stuff resides.

Sin is a word that in our modern times has been archived to confectionary and pop song lyrics.  

What about guilt?  Guilt again is complex.  This guilt, is it justified?  A lot of guilt is a reflection of a general malaise.  I get drunk.  I feel guilty.  But lots around me are doing the same.  Alcohol is available everywhere, and once I start, the slope becomes slippery.  I shout at my family; but I am being exploited at work, and I have the stress of knowing that my power is soon to be 'switched off' due to debt, and it's winter.

For some the absence of guilt is more to do with their privilege.  But again, perhaps it's the guilt we do not feel that is the most significant.  The collective 'knowing', and doing nothing.  The failures we notice when we look back and see discrimination, poverty, and pain, all avoidable, all caused in my name.

On the 29th of November 2021 Barbados became a republic, and Prince Charles apologised for the terrible sin of slavery that shattered generations in the Caribbean.  I commend him for acknowledging the guilt of our forefathers.  But I note that we remain rich partly from our vantage point atop the great pile of humanity.

This is an account of reactions to the power of Jesus' righteousness as recorded by John in Chapter 7.

We were impressed on our table.

He got our vote in the debate.

Now we called him over for a drink,

   "Budge up and give the man some room."

He looks round the table with serious intent,

  "If you follow what I've just been saying, you will find you are truly free to think and be."

  "Hey- wow man- We are all graduates here." I say, "Give us permission to think for ourselves."

  "Yes", he says, "but I can see you still want to shut me up - get rid of me forever.  There is something that still blocks your understanding."

  "No, you'll completely wrong." I say.  "We are all enlightened, believers in science and fact."

He replies.

  "If you truly believed in science you would see that everything I say is genuine.  It's comes straight from the Creator, the author of science."

This was getting personal now, and I didn't like it.

  "When you know the Creator- you see the world through different eyes.  Distorted vision will never see straight. I appreciate this has got under your skin. By knowing the Creator, you are given a privileged perspective. Everything comes into focus."

I wouldn't call him a big head, just deluded.

I can't remember the cult he comes from,

I guessing he's known to the mental health services?

PRAYER: Jesus- I follow you.  Open my eyes and help me cope with how things really are.