Stop. No, really.

In our Lutheran Confessions class this week, we got into a conversation about the Office of the Keys, more commonly known as Confession and Absolution.  The room of seminarians was filled with questions for Dr. Hendel about the significance of confessing.  How often should we confess?  Private versus public?  How do we confess for the history of enslaving and torturing people?

The central theme of Confession and Absolution is repentance.  The act of stopping and turning around in our ways to change the way we act and treat others is what this is all about.  Jesus said to turn your cheek seven times seventy times for a neighbor to hit you, but if the neighbor chooses to repent, then she is turning around and changing her way.  We confess to be in right relationship with God and we repent to be in right relationship other people.

I came across this stop sign recently and I loved the "No really" addition to it.  Seems to fit that little "Faith without works is dead" mantra.  Turn around, repent, change the direction of choices.  Stop.  No, really.