Confessions

                                                 Confessions of a wayward soul.

 

 

 

November 13^th, 354 AD in the town of Tagaste, a Roman Province located near what is now known as Algeria, a certain child was born and given the name Augustine. At that point in time there was little to confess, being as he was an infant and incapable of sin. But in later days, his widespread fame would cross the divides of the Roman Empire and supercede all boundaries to produce the most infamous of writings- The Confessions.

 

Fame was mentioned in the same breath spoken about his confessions, the dialogue of one in the midst of turmoil and truth at the same time. A broken soul, pouring forth his heart to the same God that neither condemns nor reproaches but that heals through the tears and tribulations that Augustine as a young man confessed to the world.

 

Fame for a sinner. A strange thought to the modern mind, that somehow through his published profession of all his thoughts and deeds this man would be known the world round for nothing more than a public confession of himself as a sinner. Would that I had the courage to confess when I was wrong and bring myself to the forefront of good grace in the public arena. Hard enough in the private sphere, but public? How would I ever survive?

 

The answer is grace. The same grace that propelled him to write it all down, the same grace that Paul speaks of when confronted with his thorn in the side, the same grace that motivates you and I to tell the ones we come in contact with how sorry we are for the boundaries that we build that negate the grace to form proper relationships.

 

We can face it all with grace. Augustine did, and was left none the worse for wear. In fact, he became famous for the effort. We may not all write books about the condition of our souls, but the fact remains that forgiveness starts with confessing to one another our faults, especially when those faults have caused harm.

 

Reparation. Reconciliation- strong words. They take courage, fortitude, strength. And we find all these in the message of freedom that comes from confessing our faults. To one another, to God himself. The healing of relationships does indeed come from on high, but is active in the world through and from within ourselves. May we all take the time today to forgive one another as God forgives us. As Augustine is so quoted- “Our hearts are restless Lord, until they rest in thee.”