“Why is it that it is often easier for us to confess our sins
to God than to a brother? God is holy and sinless, He is a just judge of evil
and the enemy of all disobedience. But a brother is sinful as we are. He knows
from his own experience the dark night of secret sin. Why should we not find it
easier to go to a brother than to the holy God? But if we do [find it easier],
we must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with
our confession of sin to God, whether we have not rather been confessing our
sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution...Who can give us the
certainty that, in the confession and the forgiveness of our sins, we are not
dealing with ourselves but with the living God? God gives us this certainty
through our brother. Our brother breaks the circle of self-deception. A man who
confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer
alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the
other person.” - Bonhoeffer, "Life Together"
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
*leaves to mull that over for a month*
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