"Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness, in your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.”
The familiar words of the penitential psalm express an understanding of sin and forgiveness beyond our limited grasp. Here, sin is understood in its lasting consequences. Sin so undermines the heart’s delight in God that only a new creation, far beyond any human forgiveness, can restore what has been lost. Thus the sinner prays: “A new heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.”
