Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of Christian spirituality and sport.
Hard to Forgive
“…and if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent’ you must forgive him”-Luke 17: 4
Hard to Apologize
Have you ever wondered whether it is easier to apologize or to forgive? It’s a tough call, to be honest. We are not usually very balanced or objective when it comes to matters like this. Why? When we do wrong, we quickly want forgiveness, yet when we are wronged, we struggle to forgive promptly if at all. To make matters worse, when it is our turn to apologize, we often get the words, timing and attitude all wrong.
Consider these two recent examples. Last year at a gymnastics competition in Ireland, several young participants received medals, with one palpable omission: a little black girl. As it came to light this year, amid much condemnation, Gymnastics Ireland eventually apologized publicly. Though late, it was worth the wait. Here is some of what BBC Sport reported about the apology:
““What happened on the day should not have happened and for that we are deeply sorry. We are also sorry that what has happened since that date has caused further upset.”
Gymnastics Ireland owned it, accepted that it caused harm and used the often-avoided word “sorry.” By contrast, Napoli Football Club in Italy mocked its own African player, Victor Osimhen, on social media, deleted the post after legal action was threatened and then made public comments. The absence of an apology was noticeable. It is uncertain whether any further statement is pending.
Maybe forgiveness is hard because we are not pleased with the quality of apologies when they do come. It’s a complex issue, at times, and one that will not go away. Which one is harder for you: to say “sorry” or to accept the “sorry” of others? Let us do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Hard to Miss
You can recognize a true apology by its sincerity. You can recognize true forgiveness by its purity.
If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.
