“Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
(James 5:16a NLT)
Confession is so difficult a discipline
for us partly because we view the believing community as a fellowship of saints
before we see it as a fellowship of sinners. We come to feel that everyone else
has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin. We
could not bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others. We imagine
that we are the only ones who have not stepped onto the high road to heaven.
Therefore we hide ourselves from one another and live in veiled lies and
hypocrisy.
But if we know that the people of God
are first a fellowship of sinners we are free to hear the unconditional call of
God’s love and to confess our need openly before our brothers and sisters. We
know we are not alone in our sin. The fear and pride which cling to us like
barnacles cling to others also. We are sinners together. In acts of mutual confession
we release the power that heals. Our humanity is no longer denied but
transformed.
-- Richard J. Foster in “Celebration of Discipline”
#4788
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