Sermon Illustrations: Apologies

When I was a young Christian, I worked as a groundsman at an old people's home. I can't remember what it was that I said, but I somehow had offended the very stern Scottish cook. As I went about my work, I knew that the Lord wanted me to put it right. So I went to her room (she lived in), knocked on the door, and waited for her to answer. She came to the door and demanded, "What do you want?" I said, "I wanted to say sorry for offending you. Will you forgive me please?" She slammed the door in my face as she said emphatically, "No!" I didn't get a very good reception, but sometimes you just have to do what is right, and apologise, regardless of how the other person responds.

In the movie Love Story, one of the main characters says, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." However, in marriage, if you never say you're sorry, you're headed for disaster. And that's the same in any relationship.

An apology hotline created by Jesse Jacobs has enabled people to apologise without actually talking to the person they have wronged. They log thirty to fifty calls each week. Jacobs says, "The hotline offers participants a chance to alleviate their guilt and, to some degree, to own up to their misdeeds."