Surviving Guilt

As I passed by a woman at a church dinner recently, I reached out to gently touch her on her shoulder to let her know I was there (I didn’t want all those well-prepared potluck casseroles I was carrying on my plate to get spilled down my shirt). Upon being touched, the lady jumped as if she had been electrocuted.

She apologized for being startled by jokingly saying, “I guess I have a guilty conscience.” To which I asked, “Well, were you raised Catholic or Baptist?” This is not a knock against Catholics or Baptists (I was raised in the latter tradition). It is an observation of the Christian church in general, particularly the church in the Western world. We wallow about in self-contempt and crippling shame.

I will not argue against the fact that we are all “sinners,” because we all commit selfish acts that hurt others and hurt…