Apologies Accepted

If you are keeping up with the background noise in our culture this week you know that Kanye West dissed Tyler Swift at the MTV awards (which I did not watch - I don't know that I could pick out one of those singers songs if I heard them, no, I know I couldn't) and then West apologized to Leno, not Swift apparently, on Leno's new show which the tv reviewers (what a job! having to watch all that tv!) dissed and Swift accepted the apology made to Leno on the View tv show ( I did not watch either show). And Serena Williams apologized for not only cussing out a line judge but threatening to kill her! She was fined 10,000 bucks which is pocket money for Serena. Roger Federer cussed out the judges too but as far as I know he has not apologized. The estimable congressman from South Carolina apologized for his incredible rudeness during President Obama's speech to congress last week. He was chastised by his peers, but only by about 2/3 of them. The rest thinking his oafishness was ok. He has refused to apologize to his colleagues. After all, his rude move is helping out with fundraising in South Carolina. Where the governor recently apologized for running off with his soulmate who was not his wife, and most of his governmental colleagues called for his resignation. His wife and four kids have moved out of the governor's mansion. He apologized to them, too.

What about those American public schools which protested having to listen to the President's "Let's Study Hard" beginning of school speech. How rude was that? Refusing to listen to it. Keeping students home or making sure they were released from those classrooms which were listening to the speech. I can't imagine such a thing happening back in the day when I was in school. As far as I know, no one has apologized, yet.

( I refer to a previous blog called Blount Words. How is it fair that Serena Williams who threatened a person with murder is fined pocket change while Blount who punched an opponent in the heat of battle, and later apologized, is fined his whole entire senior season? If we all make mistakes, and own up to them, and move on, why not punish the young football player but still let him play half the year, anyway? Maybe he is not famous or rich enough?)

BTW, the shoe thrower was released from prison this week, way early, for good behavior and is not apologetic in the least. He came out of prison saying he would do it again in a heartbeat.

All this drama of reconciliation in the news! But, you have to wonder if some of these guys really mean it, don't you. I mean one won't apologize to the person who was wronged, another won't apologize more than once, and another said I am sorry for telling you I was going to kill you! Then, there is the gov who carried on with his mistress for over a year and thinks his apology is going to make the difference in getting his family back, not to mention his job.

The way it all plays out in the media is pretty slick. It can make you think that giving and receiving apologies is pretty easy. We know the real work of repenting and forgiving is much harder. An apology may be a good place to begin but it is not all that needs to be done. Most of us have some apologizing to do and it won't be in front of the cameras. So, hopefully, it can be more real. It must be shown as well as said. Apologies are not just sound bytes but promises to change our hearts. Then, comes the hard work of giving and receiving forgiveness. We can accept all these public apologies at face value, but the true value can only be known in the heart.