All of this is so intriguing and thought-provoking. I love what you share, even if you consider them to be random thoughts, they do form a coherency and meaning here to me. The beginning lines sparked memories of watching "The Passion", which was quite graphic, and I remember the adult supervision and being old enough to try and understand. My family and I, or religious education class, watched it annually before Easter.

I really like the contrast of that, perhaps immediate, forgiveness we see Jesus speak of, with the knowledge of what we know as good and evil. How can someone not know what they do, if they consciously and deliberately did it? I don't even remember off the top of my head what their crimes were. Possibly thieves? I don't know if it was implied they were violent or what. Just the notion that forgiveness was being taught. Recognizing when we've done wrong, atoning before it reached such a pivotal point.

Then, the idea of purifying ourselves is something to consider, especially how there can yield many different interpretations, with many differing examples. I think the main focus growing up Catholic was not in physical signs of purification, but emotional cleansing. Going to regular confession, offering up contrition, and opening our hearts to God. It also begs the question of how others view and define sin. Is it something akin to a cultural or worldly, bigger picture sin? Is it more personal? Is it recognizing our failures and mortality? Is it realizing how our body can become sick despite our best efforts, and how we have to actively take care of it, and take care to filter and process what's in our mind, too?

I think there's a lot of thought in this piece, and the reality of language changing is something to note too, as you mention. Poetry and writing of any kind can address nuances or complications, or offer an insight we hadn't been introduced to before. I think it's always fascinating to see how people view each other. Do we view others as innately good, prone to sin and destruction? Do we view others as flawed from birth, who have the chance to become good? Do we differentiate between unintentional ways we may hurt someone versus intentional?

Really enjoyed reading!