“Say you’re sorry”

When I was a child and was caught antagonizing my siblings, I was given the directive by my mother or father: “Steve, say you're sorry.” Often times, my siblings were required to apologize to me. I'm sure many of you have similar experiences.

Apologies are complicated for everyone involved. The one who harms another and the one being harmed are engaged in interpreting the event with greater or lesser degrees of culpability or shared responsibility, varying perspectives, differing expectations, and complex emotions such as shame, fear, anger, or disappointment.

Repentance is a unique form of apology, expressing regret or remorse for sin or moral failings. According to Google, the use of the word diminishes significantly after the 19th century. The word doesn't sit well within our contemporary culture. Yet, our Anglican liturgy emphasizes the importance of repentance as a daily practice. Thankfully, God has provided just what we need to find forgiveness, peace, and what our liturgy calls “a quiet mind.”

King David's Psalm 51 is one of the most important examples of repentance in the Bible and helps us confront and navigate some of the challenging dynamics that occur when we have done something wrong.