The hardest word

There has been a lot of talk about the 'S' word recently.

The media has been full of it.  Has Tony Blair said it?  If he did, did he say it loudly enough or sincerely enough?  David Beckham has certainly said it.  But was it too little too late?
The 'S 'word is that small word that is both confession and apology: 'Sorry'.

Many want to hear the Prime Minister say 'sorry' about the Iraq war.  David Beckham, the England football captain, said 'sorry' about his deliberate tackle made against a Welsh player so that he could serve his suspension time while he was also recovering from injury.

Saying sorry doesn't come easily. It is one of the most difficult words we ever have to pronounce or write.  Why is saying 'sorry' a painful or discomforting experience?
By uttering the word we are admitting that we not only have the potential to get things wrong but that we have actually done so.

When we say 'sorry' we are not only confessing our deeds but also accepting that we have weaknesses - and that is painful.  Very few of us are comfortable at the thought of admitting that we have any weaknesses of character at all.

Saying sorry is also difficult for us because it makes us vulnerable.

We lay ourselves at the mercy of the person to whom we are saying sorry.  Once we have uttered the word we can do nothing but wait and hope that the person whom we have wronged will accept this apology and be prepared to rebuild the relationship that has been damaged between us, offering us their forgiveness, which they have the power to give or withhold.

It may be painful. It may be uncomfortable, but the use of the ‘S’ word is a necessary precursor to the rebuilding of any damaged relationship.

But what about when we say the ‘S’ word to God?

Yes, it is still uncomfortable for us to admit our weaknesses and failings but, unlike in any other relationship, we do not have to fear that his forgiveness will be withheld.  God is constantly wanting to repair our relationship with him - which we constantly damage through our human frailty and selfishness.  That is why he sent Jesus who, just before he was betrayed, poured out the wine and said: 'This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins' (Matt 26:28).

So we need not be afraid of using the ’S’ word before God.  He will accept our saying of the 'S' word because he wants to forgive us.  He has forgiven us and he will continue to forgive us through the sacrificial love of Jesus.  He has done the hard bit. Now we have to do the easy bit: saying ‘sorry’ to him and accepting his love and forgiveness.

by Graham Clarke.