Some have commented on references to sin in my last blog. Specifically, the phrase: “the stench of sin”, has triggered some annoying levels of guilt with some people. The words were described as “fire and brimstone” by one reader and as “Catholic guilt” by another.

Assuredly, getting stuck in guilt was not my intent. The purpose of the blog was to acknowledge the problem of sin and suggest a remedy: repentance, acceptance of forgiveness, and renewal of a right spirit.

Guilt can be healthy or unhealthy. Too much focus on sin leads to unhealthy guilt – an obsessive scrupulosity that handicaps people through overwhelming self-criticism. Too little focus on guilt, on the other hand, leads to self-serving behavior and gross disregard for the concerns of others.

Good guilt is a psycho-spiritual state of conviction that leads to repentance and acceptance of forgiveness. Daily victory over wrong-doing comes through acknowledging our weakness and our utter reliance on the power of God.

As influential psychiatrist Karl Menninger encourages readers in his book, Whatever Became of Sin?, “If we believe in sin – as I do – we have a responsibility for trying to correct it.” Correction starts with repentance and is lived-out through seeking a new way – a process, not perfection.

Menninger, Karl. Whatever Became of Sin? New York, Hawthorne Books, 1973.