I’ll never know, how much it cost
To see my sin, upon the cross
(Here I Am To Worship by Tim Hughes)
Today I began watching a video presentation of the Gospel according to John, and marvelling at who Jesus reveals Himself to be. He is one who is full of grace and truth. He is light and no darkness has overwhelmed the light. In that light those who seek to carry on their sinful activities are even more acutely ashamed and desirous to hide it, where does who endeavour to do good have their paths illuminated in His light.
This aspect of light, grace and truth is ery helpful for those who acknowledge that they fall short of God’s standards. Who acknowledge that actually they hae no righteousness to offer of themselves, but are grateful to believe in what Jesus has to offer. This expression of grace and truth is what the woman at the well finds so appealing about her conversation with the Messiah. He told her everything about her, and did not reject her, He embraced her.
That aspect of confession in the light of grace and truth was particularly significant when our family watched a documentary about Paul Simon’s Graceland album. There’s no doubt that there was on display wonderful demonstrations of musical artistry blending in different cultural sounds to make pop history. To make that happen, however, Paul Simon had to break a plea from those who sought to impose cultural as well as economic and political sanctions on the apartheid regime of South Africa. Thus the album courted controversy because it was Simon going off and doing his own thing against the advice of those who implored him to not get involved.
The documentary captured the reaction he received when he returned to South Africa 25 years after the album’s release. During the documentary he converses with one of those who lead the resistance to the apartheid regime especially for artists getting involved. At the end of the conversation, my wife picked up Simon saying that he apologised if he caused any offence by his actions. She applauded him for this apology.
I dare not critique the apology. It got me thinking, though about how to say sorry. It got me thinking that if we start with a conditional apology – if I upset you in doing what I did then I am sorry – then there is something in that which is more about how the other person feels, then taking responsibility for our own actions.
It is giving onus on the other person to accept the olive branch if they want to without any real sense of contrition and repentance for our actions.
In this September Sojourn, I am reminded that my journey with the Light of the World who came full of grace and truth begins with an apology on my part. An apology without any conditions. It’s not a matter of if I did anything wrong. It’s a full blown confession that I did do something – worse still, I have a character trait that naturally defies who God is and thus lives out a broken, distorted picture of the being God created me to be. When I hear the lyrics of the song at the start of this article, I’m reminded of not just gratitude, but the unreserved apology.
I start off the journey in the light of His grace and truth seeing my sin and seeing that they are why He lived and died and rose again. He took my place. That evokes in me sadness and contrition. By His Spirit, it prompts in me a desire to have that sin washed away, and that nature remade to be more like His.
He starts with being the Lamb that takes the sin of the world. I start with sorry.
That sorry acknowledges how I can let my family down with my actions. How I can let my friends down with my poor choice of words. How I can let my community down with my inactivity and apathy. How I do these things, and recognise they are worng – and am sorry.
As I turn to Him, I see His eyes of love, and His outstretched arms of welcome. I see Him embrace me and say there is no condemnation, I acknowledge Him clothing me in His righteousness and giving me a new mind and a new heart to desire what He desires and live these things out for His glory.
That starts with sorry.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 