In the drama of the human mind there always seems to be a scapegoat (Lev 16:18-22). My computer doesn’t work and immediately my anger gets directed toward the tech guy; my bus is running late and my resentment against the driver grows by the second; my keys have somehow disappeared and my mind instantly goes to the kid wearing the hoodie; and how often have I scapegoated myself when experiencing one of life’s many disappointments! The good news is that a beloved friend dwells within us and offers to be the ending point for all of this negative emotional activity (Jn 19:30). This one stands at the doorway of the soul and will catch all of the blame and condemnation before it consumes us (Jn 10:9,11). On the other side of this sheer grace, we will see that the many goats we had instrumentalized for the appeasement of our anxieties over the years are actually our sisters and brothers. Ours is simply to release them from whatever psychological altar we have tied them to and walk with them into a future full of hope (Ps 119:32). Ave Crux, Spes Unica.
