To Err is Human
“To err is human, to forgive Divine.” (Alexander Pope, “Essay on Criticism“)
We all experience mistakes. Big or small we will both author and receive mistakes. Yet, mistakes give us the opportunity to experience the power of forgiveness.
The past week we had our hot water system burst. I walked into our tiled bathroom and slipped haphazardly on a thick and expanding film of water. My wobbly-legged one-year-old son followed close behind me. He grinned with excitement before I whipped him up out of the danger zone to his disappointment. After speaking with the real estate agent to contact a plumber, she asked me if I could access the hot water heater and turn it off. I quickly said yes but after hanging up it dawned on me that I have never turned off a hot water heater.
The first challenge was accessing the unit. It was behind a heavy wooden board in the bathroom tucked away behind the washing machine. To my surprise I shifted the washing machine away with ease. However, lifting the heavy wooden door was the real challenge. I tried several times to lift the door but to no avail. I only managed to budge it a little. More water poured onto my tiles. I pushed harder. Sweat poured down my face and I remember thinking a dress was a poor choice for today. Finally the door budged and I could lift it out. What a relief! Now, it was just a matter of finding the water valve.
There were no clear instructions as I had hoped.
I quickly ‘Googled’ for the answer. A YouTube video instructed I would need an electrician! Meanwhile, water poured through the bathroom and the carpets were getting saturated around the outer bathroom walls.
Just then my husband walked in the front door from work. After disappearing into the bathroom, he reappeared seconds later and said he turned the valve off. To my credit it was behind the cylinder making it difficult to see. I was so relieved it was off. Later that evening we learned that three units below us received water damage due to a defect on the building’s piping.
This drama did not come as a complete surprise to us. Three months prior we had the water heater assessed as we noticed rust in our hot water. Our real estate agent called me the next day to apologize. She had received approval from the owners to replace the hot water heater months ago but had forgotten to action the request. She asked if there was any damage to our personal items. There wasn’t but the carpets just needed to be dried. She remained professional but I sensed how disheartened she felt about the situation. I empathized with her and told her how things can slip through when you are juggling a number of requests. In addition, she was new to her role.
Later that day the owner called me directly and apologized. She was angry with the real estate agent. I did my best to try to sooth the situation.
The drama gave me thought on how easy it is for us to err and how difficult it is to either ask or grant forgiveness. Jesus said while instructing his disciples how to pray ‘Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (Luke 11:4) He also said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matthew 5:9)
We live in an angry world. A world that demands repayment when they are wronged or even offended these days. In our moments of loss (or victimhood) we feel we must be compensated swiftly. It is not unnatural to feel this way nor is it unjust to demand a wrong to be fixed.
Yet in moments where we stand as the victim of someone else’s mistake or offence, we should remember the Lord Jesus Christ’s mind-blowing words to those that crucified Him.
He requested that they be forgiven. (Luke 23:34)
