Atonement

That was the title of the episode of ER last night. One of the story lines was about a man who had been a prison doctor. One of his duties was to administer lethal injections to the prisoners on death row. At the time, he felt he was doing a public service. The tide changed when a man he had "put to death" was found to be innocent months later. The guilt this doctor felt had consumed him. His life's quest became one of traveling to families of the men he "killed" to apologize and offer a way to "make up" or atone for what he had done.
He was in the ER because he had saved a boy from drowning in the icy waters. This boy was the son of a man he had executed. This doctor feared going to hell if this boy died. The doctor could not make up for the overwhelming guilt he felt. His works to God never seemed to be enough to atone for what he had done. The ER staff sent in the "chaplain" to talk with this doctor. This so-called chaplain is a beautiful New Age clergy who happens to be the new love interest of one of the main doctor characters. Her form of ministry is to make everyone feel good about everything. This doctor’s pleas for answers went unreturned by the chaplain. She continually offered punchy, feel-good statements. This doctor was in absolute spiritual agony and pleaded with her for answers. He needed to know whether he could ever obtain forgiveness from God for his sins. She gave him nothing and he told her that. He was so angry that he threw her out of the room and she fled in tears. I literally cheered at this point. I have been so sick of this New Age chaplain as a deceiver of the Lord!! ER made a strong point in my eyes.
Later, as she spoke with her love interest doctor, she made the statement that when people are in crisis, they want concrete answers; they want do's and don’ts. She admitted that she could not give this man what he needed.
Her form of "religion" is an empty deception that cons people into believing that they only need to feel good about everything to be in touch with their spiritual side.
Of course the show didn't bring in Jesus Christ, but it did reveal that New Age doesn't have the answers when it comes to the crunch in life.
This doctor could have had forgiveness through Christ. The burden of his guilt weighted him down like a mountain of rock. Christ is ready, willing and so very able to lift that mountain off the shoulders of the lost