mea culpa

Tragedy struck on the first day of Winter Olympic Games; a luger named Nodar Kumaritashvili died as he went 90 miles per hour on the lightning fast track. IOC President Jacques came out yesterday and said they were ‘morally responsible’ for the luger’s death. Jacques Rogge went on to say that; “Everyone is responsible. It’s not a responsibility in judicial terms. It is a moral responsibility.” 

Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota, came out in the public this week to say that he bore full responsibility for his department’s actions. “I extend my condolences from the deepest part of my heart,” Mr. Toyoda said. 

“It’s my fault”. We don’t hear that very often in this ‘blame-someone-else’ society. We are a society that looks to blame someone or something else for wrongs that we commit. This is true from the youngest child to the highest dignitary. We look to blame our parents or our teachers or the church or the government or family genetics or our “weaknesses” or our “bad habits”. We look to blame people and things and everything for our problems. Everything, that is, but ourselves; “It’s not my fault”.   

We pass the buck and blame others for all the ills in society; the homelessness, the broken homes, the poverty and hunger. We blame others for the spiritual and physical and moral decline of this nation. But that is wrong.   

There is an old phrase “mea culpa” [(may-uh kul-puh, kool-puh)]that means “my fault” or “my blame” or “through my fault”. It is a phrase used as an acknowledgment of one's responsibility. No passing the buck; no excuses; "I am to blame; it’s my fault”. It is an acknowledgment of your error or guilt. Pretty simple, and yet we choose to blame someone else for our mistakes.   

In the Apostle John’s first letter in the Bible, he addresses this issue. John writes; “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1John 1:8-10).    

In other words, if we acknowledge our sins; not blame somebody else. If we take responsibility for what we did; not make excuses. Then God will forgive us of our sins and then He will cleanse us of our unrighteousness. The forgiveness is from God, but the confession needs to come from our own lips; with no excuses! “I blew it, God! And I take full responsibility for my actions. And I ask for your forgiveness.” Pretty simple; the choice is up to each of us.  

"My Eyes Are Dry" by Keith Green

My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me
 But what can be done

For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood
 My eyes are dry

My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me
 But what can be done

For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood
 © BIRDWING MUSIC