Two of the most powerful and destructive forces in human life are also two that, by their nature, compel us to deny they even exist: guilt and shame. Modern, enlightened people are supposed to be beyond this now. But even if we do acknowledge them, the answer is thought to be a loving God, not a God of blood. The Day of Atonement passage, however, invites us deeper into the heart of God to find out what the blood truly has to say to us, and how it is truly the only thing capable of dealing with these enduring afflictions of humanity.