Article October 13, 1997 Issue

Drop the blame!

Jan Kassahn Keeler

Often when a challenge arises in a family, there is a tendency to blame someone. Yet, placing blame can be cruel and unfair. The guilt resulting from blame would separate family members from the comfort and strength that come from feeling our heavenly Father's constant merciful and tender love.

Nor does feeling guilty automatically bring a solution. Science and Health points out, "The admission to one's self that man is God's own likeness sets man free to master the infinite idea" (p. 90). If we look closely at our lives, we can all come up with many reasons why we should feel guilty and think that we don't deserve to be loved. But, according to the above statement, before we can make genuine progress, we must spiritualize our concept of ourselves and come to the point where we freely admit that we are God's own likeness.

If we are letting either guilt or a desire to blame others hold us back from admitting this, our concept of ourselves is anything but Godlike. Also, blame doesn't really get to the root of the problem so that genuine healing can take place. If we are believing that there was a time when evil—sin or hatred or sensuality or willfulness—happened and that we were scarred by that event, then healing will not be possible. The truth is, we are freed from evil influences when our lives reflect the fact that God, divine Love, governs all.

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