It seems that we have to have someone to blame for every negative situation. We need a scapegoat that we can banish to the wilderness. Someone must pay. Somebody must go. It is a convenient way to avoid looking at ourselves and taking responsibility for our own actions. Taking responsibility is the first step in confession. The second step is repentance, turning away from inappropriate or destructive behaviors. It is easy for us to forget the harm that we have caused by some past action. Memory, honesty and humility can save us from blaming and scapegoating. It will cure us from “us and them” by showing that we are not as different from “them” as we thought.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:37-38 (NASB)
