Saying “I’m sorry” is the first step; then “how can I help?” My life is filled with Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood, an animated PBS children’s show built and based on the earlier Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Each episode has a short line with a tune that accompanies it. The main character, Daniel Tiger, learns the tune as the centering theme of that particular episode. Daniel is in preschool so often these centering themes are simple yet full of wisdom for everyday life.
Little did I realize how true that this particular line about offering apology would become for me in these first years of being a pastor. I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be, but that doesn’t mean that some people see pastors and even some pastors see themselves as beyond major faults or mistakes. I believe that I have been called to this particular church community, Hutterthal Mennonite, and that I have also been called by this particular congregation. My calling though is not to no longer make mistakes or to act as though I don’t make mistakes. In fact, I would say that my call is to walk alongside other people of faith as we grow even more fully into the likeness of Jesus while realizing that we still fall short of his example.
And in those moments of falling short: sometimes when I have noticed and sometimes when others have pointed it out, I offer my sincere apologies without excuses, taking responsibility for my actions or comments and hopefully living into the love, hope, and grace of Jesus. Each time that I realize that an apology needs to be offered personally to someone, Daniel Tiger’s words come back to me, singing through my thoughts as I pray for the wisdom to speak with humility and offer apology in the expectation that I will do my best to learn from this moment and do differently in the future. When was the last time that you said, “I’m sorry?” How was it received? How have you changed or done differently since that moment?
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