Oil, Humanity, and Forgiveness
June 1, 2010
Over the past month, the whole world has watched a tragedy unfold in the Gulf of Mexico.
Amidst the ‘why’ and the ‘what next’, and the ‘lets not let this happen ever again’ there is a sentiment seems to be rising to the top that concerns me:
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‘We can never forgive BP’
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Long ago, humans made an error in a pristine garden called Eden. This error has been the source of all others. A pattern emerges: Make an error, Seek a scapegoat, Repeat.
Like Adam and Eve, BP and the other groups culpable for the oil spill will have to pay in kind, but lest we forget how we got where we are, remember that grace is something required by all.
We will continue to make these mistakes until perfection is restored at Christ’s return. Until then we must do our best to avoid error in whatever our work. We are capable of no more. It is in our nature to make mistakes, to attempt to make others look worse than us, and to fail to see our own shortcomings. As Jesus says to Peter, forgiveness must constantly be offered.
