ALEXANDER Pope, poet of the Enlightenment, lent a famous line from his 1711 treatise “An Essay on Criticism” to the US Institutes of Medicine’s report on patient safety: To Err is Human. The remainder of the line, “to forgive divine,” would have further reinforced the report’s message. And, in my opinion, he was so very right. Erring – having failed to adhere to the proper or accepted standards. How many times have we done something wrong?
In our daily life struggles, we also pass innumerable periods of splendid isolation and act, as William Shakespeare said, “Thoughts are free” by hurting and insulting relatives, friends, and colleagues. Many times we err, and, even if we know it, we don’t care. BAHALA SILA…
Maybe we pray and ask for forgiveness. And, we are so sure of having our complimentary ticket in our pockets and pouches. Nobody is perfect – sure! Me too! Yes, I confess! But that’s no excuse for broken promises.
How many times do we commit a mistake? How many times are we mistaken, or get astray? How many times do we sin?
How often do we catch ourselves being roving, wandering, and acting eccentric, changeable, capricious, and not dependable? Or, how many people in our surroundings do we meet daily, who err terribly on their decisions? I am not talking about the deviation from right or truth and the sins, blunders, and mistakes, which we make in our daily life.
To err is human, sure – but not if we err willfully, intentionally, or if legal premeditation is done. But the second part of my today’s column here is much more important: forgiveness! Yes, forgiveness is divinity – meaning to say: godhead and theological together.
I looked into my dictionaries and found innumerable explanations: “If we can forgive, we are belonging to, or, we are having the nature of God. We might be holy, sacred, heavenly, or a superhuman -being a priest, a pastor, a clergy, or theologian!”
I guess it’s already a wonderful situation, after being insulted or hurt by someone to hear the simple expression “SORRY!” Yes, it’s coming from the bottom of the heart. “SORRY!” … – and I ask God also to forgive all my sins and my wrongdoings to others.
Regarding “seeking forgiveness” we can find plenty of passages in our Holy Bible. The most touching part for me is being found in Proverbs 28:13: “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up, then God will show mercy to you!”
Forgiveness is divine, because you have decided to accept the penalty of another person’s crime / sin / unfairness, and have let them get away Scot free – just like Jesus dealt with our great sinfulness.
“To err is human…” but is it necessary? Believe it or not, it’s widely believed that not making mistakes could be the worst mistake you ever make.
George Bernard Shaw said, “A life spent making mistakes is better than a life spent doing nothing.” And this is largely true. Without mistakes, we don’t know the things we like doing and we don’t learn how to improve. If most inventions and methods are improved through trial and error – not erring would mean rarely improving.
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