On this holiest day in the Jewish year, our kindred atone for the ways in which they have harmed others in the past year. Yom Kippur is a day of prayer, of introspection, and of fasting. The fasting is a sacrifice that helps focus the individual on the task at hand–atonement.
How can you atone for something you’ve done wrong in the past year?
“Now is the time for turning. The leaves are beginning to turn from green to red and orange…. God, help us to turn–from callousness to sensitivity, from hostility to love, from pettiness to purpose, from envy to contentment, from carelessness to discipline, from fear to faith.” -Jack Riemer
What do you need to turn towards in this season of transformation and atonement?
Sacrifice can also be harmful to us, causing injury (physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual).
How have you faced the possibility of harmful sacrifice?
Sometimes, we are asked to sacrifice for a cause beyond ourselves, something that will make our society better for everyone.
When have you been asked to sacrifice for a cause?
This month, we will explore the theme of sacrifice. When it is healthy, and when it is not. When it is harmful theology, and when it is relational and life-affirming.
When have you made a sacrifice that was healthy and healing for you?
