The Repentant Soul 

All human beings are rays on an invisible Cosmic Sun and endowed with the possibility of a relationship with God that brings love and forgiveness to all who turn inward with sincerity.  The Christian is connected to the same inner Sun as the Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, animist, and atheist.  The relationship with God does not always have to be religious.  It can be spiritual and it can be undertaken anywhere by anyone. 

Religion informs the conscience through teachings on evil and customs meant to be followed by believers.  For example, Sikh men cover their hair with turbans while some Muslim women wear hijabs when not in front of their husbands.  Violations of either rule are considered morally unacceptable.  Other personal mistakes evoke guilt even if not categorized as inappropriate by one’s religion. 

Part of a relationship with God is to say ‘I’m sorry’ for the things you did wrong.  There is a difference between repentance and apologies.  Repentance is a process in which you offer sincere apologies, promise to avoid the same error again, and claim Grace.  It is supposed to be a reconciliation with God and a personal re-orientation according to the tenets of one’s religion or guidance from a minister.  Repentance will open your heart and mind to the Higher Aspects of the Light from the Cosmic Sun, improving your moral sensibilities.  Apologies, on the other hand, can be casual and said in a non-religious setting or in interpersonal interactions.  No religious or spiritual import may apply to an apology.  It just might be a way of expressing regret. 

Whether you repent or just apologize, start with prayer or a casual conversation with God.   Sincerely ask for your Creator’s forgiveness for doing something that you believe that God deigned as wrong.  Start with the acts not sanctioned by your religion and then proceed to the moments in your life when your action or inaction evoked a lot of guilt or anxiety and for which no apologies have been offered yet.  Apologize for the same mistake every day for forty consecutive days.  At the end, switch to another mistake and repeat the process.  These sets indicate to the Light that comes from the invisible Cosmic Sun that you are paying attention and are aware of the mistakes you made.  You will then act with more consciousness about the moral consequences of your behavior and an improved awareness of your intentions and effect on others.  Hopefully in the future, you will not misbehave consciously again but if that happens, a prayerful ‘I’m sorry’ or another set will suffice.  It will still be up to you to abide by your ideals but your conscience kicks into a higher gear.

While ‘sin’ might be specific to a particular religion, the effect of repentance, whether it takes place in a house of worship or in one’s residence, is universal.  The soul has energy and a repentant soul is one that distinguishes itself from others. 

Attune yourself to the Higher Aspects of the Light through your relationship with God.  Don’t let a mistake weigh you down.