World On the Web asks, “When public figures say they are sorry, do we forgive them?”
Most people automatically answer “yes.” Jesus taught we should always be willing to forgive, even those who continually wrong us. Answering the question of how much, he said “seventy-seven times.”
But for others, forgiveness fades and hostilities rise when Hillary discusses Iraq, when sports stars abuse their status, or when governors spend $15,000 on prostitutes. In a recent blog post on nationalreview.com, Jack Dunphy said he would rather “leave the forgiving to others.” His stance is more popular.
I spent some time after Hurricane Katrina pondering forgiveness in a three part series. The bottom line – Christians are, indeed, required to forgive. But we are not required to continue in a relationship with an unrepentant person. And repentance means a lot more than an apology. It means a behavior change.
So can I forgive Hillary Clinton, David Vitter, and a host of other political figures for their transgressions? You betcha. But when the best that they can do is a weak political apology, that’s all the proof I need that they’re sorry they were caught, or called out on something, and not sorry for the transgression. And lacking a real change of heart, I’m not required to take them back.
I agree that there is definitely a distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation. If someone’s spouse commited adultery, he could forgive the spouse while simultaneously choosing not to remain married any further. The ultra-forgiving crowd are simply the ascetic, masochistic type of people who think God will appreciate them more if they intentionally suffer.