Good plumbing is good for everyone.

I recall a Saturday afternoon, about fifty years ago, when I was complaining to my mother that I had nothing to do. She made a few uninspiring suggestions and finally in frustration said, “Why don’t you hike on over to the church and go to confession?” I responded that I’d been to confession at school the previous Wednesday. “O, come-on”, she laughed. “are you trying to tell me that after three whole days you have nothing to confess?” Yes, in my world sin was a given, but forgiveness was routine.

I’ve often wondered if this is one of the reasons why I’m not one of those Christians who struggles with inordinate guilt. Of course many Catholics do, so regular confession is certainly not the perfect solution. But it seems to me that confession and forgiveness, as part of an ongoing program of spiritual hygiene, should help. I don’t feel guilty about body odour, as though after all these years I should be above that sort of thing. I just shower regularly and put on deodorant.

In Jesus’ day the function of normalizing sin was performed by ritual cleansing. For example, an Essene underwent full immersion baptism every day, and the Pharisees practiced ritual hand washing. Jesus challenged these practices when it seemed they were becoming substitutes for repentance, but he did recognize the value of symbolic cleansing. And he washed his disciples feet in preparation for the great spiritual trial they were about to undergo in his impending crucifixion.

John 13:8-11 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

This little exchange implies that, as we walk in this world, sin and forgiveness are matters of routine. But the reference to Judas also indicates that sin must still to be taken seriously. Though readily available, forgiveness is serious because sin is serious. Again, when we go to the bathroom we wash our hands, not because we’re ashamed, but because we realize that some of the stuff we routinely produce in our lives is dangerous; it can actually kill someone.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matt 6:12

We forgive and seek forgiveness, not just for our own spiritual health, but for the health of the community. If we are to touch one another for healing we need to be clean. And if forgiveness is to flow through us we must be open to God and one another.

Sometimes people have objected that Jesus seems to be implying that God’s forgiveness is somehow dependent on our willingness to forgive. But he is not implying this, he’s saying it explicitly, and he immediately goes on to reiterate the point. “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matt 6:14-15

God intends us to be channels of forgiveness as well as many other blessings, but a channel, a waterline for example, can be closed off at any point. If I shut off the intake, of course, the flow stops. But the same is true if I shut off the outflow or allow the line to become clogged. But it’s really not that big a deal, just basic plumbing. Or as Jesus told his disciples on another occasion, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Matt 10:8 In other words, just keep it flowing and go with the flow.