"I'm sorry." We are mostly taught at a young age of the importance of apologizing when you have done wrong against someone else. However, after the apology has been made, it is out of our hands and thus resides in the recipient's heart the ability to forgive us or not. Most common responses tend to be: "Yes I'll accept your apology, or not I will not, or even "no!... it is too late now!" Unfortunately, when we ask for forgiveness via an apology and we are granted acceptance, our past offenses some how are blown in our faces on the next time we do not meet up to the recipient's expectations or when we have wronged them in any way.
After pondering the differences between the way God forgives us to the way we forgive each other, I chose two separate blog entries through the blogosphere that discusses the ramifications of apologies from political figures to the way God forgives humans. In my first post, I commented on Abraham Piper's entry on Listening to God Through Other People about how God shows Abraham through other people who God is and what he thinks of us. The second comment deals with an apology made by Kevin Rudd on behave of Australian's atrocities against Aborigines and the Stolen Generations of Australia.
Comment: "Listening to God Through Other People"
I really enjoyed your discussion on God's ability to not cast us off into eternal darkness-separation from His presence-but He rather accepts us for who and where we are in our faith in Him and he works with us. This is one of the reasons why I have chosen this picture from John Piper's home website because it reminds me how God continues to show me mercy and forgives me even when I do not deserve it. If I'm not mistaken, mercy is giving someone what they do not deserve. Another verse that pairs up with this picture is Hebrews 13:8 " For God is the same as yesterday, today, and forever." The very fact that the Sun has been rising in the east and sets in the west for as long as man can remember, shows me how He is also faithful to forgive us that many times and also to cast our transgressions into a sea of forgetfulness. I do understand that it is much easier to believe in words that we hear than from words that we see, but as you have stated in your entry, the many times God reveals Himself through other people, it is for our advancement in our faith and our realization that I can and should believe the words of God and His promises.There is one theory that I have in which I would like your opinion on which is as follows: that God really does shows who He is through people-being that He has created us in His image-, through nature and through the way the universe is set up.
One question I have for you is what other witnesses has God given you apart from other people that expresses God's nature and love and worthiness of your praise and faith in Him?
Comment: "The apology and moral significance of guilt"
I was unexpectedly taken off guard when I read your blog post on The apology and the moral significance of guilt. I thought that I was going to be lead through a discussion about how in theology, one's guilt usually leads them to repentance and is then forgiven and acquitted of all wrong doings and never to be brought up again. Thus, I was left opened with a non-assuming role as a reader to hear what you had to say about Kevin Rudd's national apology.
I enjoyed your frankness about the intent of Rudd's apology and learned that no matter what status, creed, or age one is who gives an apology, that not all ears will receive it in the way that you intended it. I do agree with Immanuel Kant's assertion that the moral worth of an act lies not in its commission but in its intention but, however, are eve
n capable at deciphering responses and other people's actions, let alone our own speeches? Jeremiah 17:9-10 affirms, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Therefore, I am assume that your take on the apology weighs more on the issue at hand but I implore you to consider at what point do we forgive and never bring up one's past deeds or to cast off one's apology on the accusation of ulterior motives embedded into the intentions/heart of the action.Furthermore, what would be an apology or how would an apology be read to your standards and would you actually accept it or would you still remember the injustices of that particular race of people?
1 comment:
Your post is incredibly interesting and draws a comparison that I have never thought about: the forgiveness of God to man contrasted with the forgiveness of man to man. It is provocative and inspired me to think more about the topic.
That being said, I think there are a few minor additions or changes that can be made to make a great post even better. There are a few grammatical and spelling errors that occur in the post. The post is quite intelligent and scholastic, therefore it would be a shame if any credit was taken away due to something as minute as grammatical errors. Additionally, I think that using third person would be more effective in your responses to the other blogs. For example, when you are discussing the quotation from Piper's homepage, you state that the quote: "reminds me how God continues to show me mercy and forgives me even when I do not deserve it." I think the stronger statement should be: "The quote is a constant reminder that God shows mercy and forgiveness to people even when it is not deserved. I have experienced this in my own life when..." The latter remark reaches a wider group of people, while the first remark gives the impression that God does this for you, but not necessarily other people.
I hope my input helps you. Again, I am really impressed by this post. The picture at the bottom is exceptionally powerful; I can feel the emotion of the people depicted. Your first paragraph is very effective in the post. I am not a religious person myself, but your use of an every day topic like apologies drew me into a post that I would not typically be attracted to. It was a good way of creating a connection with a wider audience.
I think that an apology should be accepted, as long as the person who apologizes shows both remorse for his or her actions and displays an effort to change the hurtful behavior in the future. Everyone makes bad decisions, but only certain people put in the effort to improve their decision making skills in the future. To me, it is the combination of genuine sorrow, an understanding of the wrongdoing, and an effort to change that merits forgiveness.
I am looking forward to reading more of your posts and becoming more informed on a topic that I am not personally educated on attached too (although after your blog, I may spend more time learning about). Thank you for enlightening me with this post.
Post a Comment