In her book “Life is a Trip”, Judith Fein takes the readers along on her adventures. She explores the different cultures from very different countries. One of those countries was Guatemala, where the themes of religion and forgiveness prevailed. Fein was curious on a little-known god called Maximon. She asked various people but received different answers. People described him as a saint, others as the devil, some as a trickster, and so on. But, while overhearing a guide, she learns he is a divinity who is also a sinner. As such, he is able to forgive the sins of us mortals.The idea that a god could be a sinner is truly very interesting and attractive. If a god also makes mistakes, then maybe it is easier for humans to accept that, being merely mortals, they could also commit sins and deserve forgiveness. It can be so hard for a person to forgive themselves, as the author realizes. She had spent some time asking God for forgiveness, but she hadn’t forgiven herself for her sins.
At the end, she gives Maximon a donation, maybe finally forgiving herself or at least taken a big step towards that direction. Later, she is capable of applying this new life lesson in her life. While spending some time with a friend, she realizes how tortured he is by his sins. She offers him comfort by telling him about the Guatemalan god who drinks and smokes, and is able to cheer him up. It is truly freeing when you realize that, just like you, everybody is just trying the best they can. We can’t escape the fact that we are imperfect creatures. That isn’t an excuse for all of our actions, but a reason not to torture ourselves when we make a mistake.
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