A loosely constructed booth, made of PVC pipe and covered by maroon cloth, sat quietly on the Plaza of the Americas on Wednesday. A small, white sign invited perplexed looks and slowed paces of passers-by with its one-word label: "Confessions."
But there was no priest inside the box. No offer of absolution or suggestions for penance.
Instead, a group of Christian students sought to invite the other side - a listener. They wanted to apologize for what they deemed their own moral shortfalls in not living how Jesus intended. They're sorry for the bad image Christians might have on campus.
Russell McMullen, a UF sophomore involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, organized the reverse confessional.
"We used this to try and let people take a fair look at Christ and not just prejudge and write it off as a hateful and intolerant religion," McMullen said.
He said some students who saw the booth were confused at first and thought they were being invited to confess their own sins. They were quickly assured that McMullen and his friends would be the ones giving the face-to-face confessions in the tent.
"Otherwise, I don't think we would have gotten anybody to talk to," McMullen said.
Judging, hurting and not showing love to people were named as the Christian group's transgressions, offered on behalf of the whole church.
McMullen didn't get more than 20 students inside in the booth today, which stood under the shade of trees on the Plaza, but he expects more throughout the week. He'll man the operation until Friday.
Graham Wigle, a UF freshman, took over the booth while McMullen went to class. Wigle said students walking across campus often get inaccurate representations of Christianity from sign-wielding preachers on Turlington Plaza.
The confessional is also meant to encourage Christians to be more humble, he said.
"We're imperfect. We stink," Wigle said. "We want to point people to the real Jesus."
