The Scapegoats

And Aaron shall lay both of his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness… Leviticus 16: 21 

This was not my first time.  I have been in a confessional like this before.  But, this time I actually felt the effects of the atonement process, and I reminded myself that the scapegoats all volunteered to take upon themselves my human frailties and to carry them away into the world.

Within the privacy of the tiny booth I poured out all my sins, all my hatreds, all my fears, and all my selfishness.  I confessed my blood lust for vengeance.  I opened my tight grip on all that I selfishly believed was mine and mine alone, especially my money and my guns.  I gave up my shortsighted disregard for the polluted world of my children’s children.  The scapegoats would would take all these from me.

I looked over the names of the candidates again, reminding myself that they have each and everyone volunteered, even campaigned to accept my burden, to be imprisoned in their various offices. and to be blamed for everything.  And I voted.

At that moment I imagined the great burden lifted from me, believing that they would now carry my sins out into the world in my name.  I was no longer responsible.  I was now whole, sane, and free.  I had voted.