Is it time you came clean with God?
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COLUMN: Food for Thought by Rev John Sterrett
The archbishop of Paris stood in the pulpit of the Cathedral of Notre Dame on Sunday and told the following story.
Three young men stood outside t his church a number of years ago and dared each other that whoever was brave enough to go into the confessional booth and give a bogus confession would win a certain amount of money.
One of the young men accepted the challenge. The boys entered the church and the one taking the dare entered the confessional booth.
The priest on duty that day quickly realised what was going on, but he kept quiet until the young man on the other side of the screen in the booth had given his 'confession'.
When the young man finish talking, the priest said: "Well my son take a look through the small window in the door of the confessional booth and tell me what you see."
The young man looked and said: "I see the crucifix above the altar at the front of the church."
The priest said "Every confession requires penance. Here's yours. I want you to go down to the front of the church and kneel under the crucifix and look up into the face of the Saviour and say three times – 'All this you have done for me, but I don't give a damn.'"
The young man left the confessional and the other boys excitedly hurried over to him and said "How did it go?"
"Well, I made my confession to the priest," said the one who had gone into the booth, "So, now, where's my money?"
The other boys, having been brought up good Catholics, said "But every confession requires penance. What did he tell you to do?". The boy told them what penance he had been given.
One of the others said, "Well, no money until you finish the job!"
So, the young man cockily marched up to the front of the cathedral and knelt before the crucifix and looked up into the face of Jesus. He said: "All this you have done for me, but I don't give a ..." But he couldn't say it.
He couldn't even say it once, let alone three times.
There was a silence as the archbishop looked out over the wide-eyed congregation. Then he dropped a bombshell on them.
"That young man," he said, "Was me."
I've heard it said that you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and you can even fool yourself – but you can't fool God.
Are you like the young man in the story above, trying to fool Him? Trying to take Him lightly? Are you fooling yourself?
Make no mistake, heaven, hell, sin and salvation are spiritual realities not to be trifled with. But remember that God does not revel in punishing wrong doers. Look at the outcome of the story for the young man. Obviously, he came clean with God. Is it time you did this too? You can.
The Bible says “If w e confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (John 1.9).
Those w ho take confession seriously will find that they’ll be rewarded beyond their wildest expectations. Maybe it’s time, before you do anything else, to find a quiet place, get on your knees and come clean with God.
Rev John Sterrett is the minister at St Andrew's Church, Golspie.
