Growing up, I naively thought guilt was the preserve and exclusive domain of Catholicism.
After all, when Martin Luther saw the light about justification by faith alone, particularly through Romans 1:17, the impact of that other ‘G’ word, grace, came to the fore. How often haven’t we thought of our Lutheran understanding of salvation in terms of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast’ (Ephesians 2:8,9)?
I thought that was it for guilt, as far as we Lutherans were concerned. There was no need to be beating yourself up – emotionally, spiritually and physically – over your sins. Jesus had taken the beating for us and banished sin, death and guilt forever. Or so I thought …
But as is often the case when it comes to understanding the tension between faith and doubt, righteousness and sin, I was wrong. Guilt tends to be an ever-present fiend in times of trouble.
And it can be destructive if we leave it to fester untreated. It can cause shame, which takes over our whole being with feelings of unworthiness.
But guilt is more than a burden that can damage our relationships with God and with others. Of course, whatever has given rise to that guilt is the real underlying cause of relationship breakdowns. Guilt is the symptom or by-product of sin.
So rather than simply being destructive in all cases, guilt can be instructive, providing a mirror that alerts us to the wrong we’ve done and the good we’ve failed to do. It can also be constructive, in that it encourages us to turn around, to repent and to change our ways.
In this edition, we are blessed to share a range of voices from around our LCANZ as we explore the workings and impact of guilt – and how we can find freedom from it. While we are by no means promising a comprehensive analysis of a complex topic, I hope you will find blessing in these pages, as I have.
As always, our churchwide magazine includes faith-life resources, uplifting stories and news of what’s been happening around the church, including essential information regarding the upcoming in-person sessions of General Synod early next year.
And, as a further bonus for our print subscribers, you’ll find inside Australian Lutheran College’s annual Saints Alive publication. Digital subscribers can access the same content by heading to ALC’s website at www.alc.edu.au/connect/publications/saints-alive
May God bless your reading,
Lisa
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