The Premier, an Apology, and Forgiveness

 

                                            Premier Doug Ford apologizes on April 22, 2021

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

                                                          John 20:21-23

Last week the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, held a news conference in front of a family home during which he apologized to the people of the province for messing up stay-at-home restrictions related to the third wave of COVID-19 infections. The usually blustering, get-er-done, premier seemed genuinely contrite, and even shed a few tears of remorse. 

The public response to Ford's mea culpa has been interesting. Some dismiss what happened as damage control, a staged response to public outcry against measures which were not recommended by health officials and which ignored their actual recommendations. Others figured that Ford was admitting his mistakes, so should be forgiven and given another chance -- hey, we all make mistakes.

I am a strong believer in forgiveness, and it is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this season of Easter we often hear the challenging verses from John's gospel which are in the same chapter as the discovery of the empty tomb on Resurrection morning. However we interpret them, there is the implication that while forgiveness should be freely given it is also transactional.

Forgiveness is so often a process, not just a moment of generosity in response to an expressed apology. When someone or a group apologizes there is the expectation of changed behaviour and attempts to make amends.When Ruth, my wife, worked as an outreach worker in a women's shelter many of her clients had been or still were in toxic relationships where abusive partners would offer teary, abject apologies for their wrongdoing, only to repeat it. Governments and churches have apologized to Indigenous peoples yet have been slow to implement the changes which will end systemic racism and effect reconciliation. Sometimes talk is cheap. 

So, should we "forgive and forget" in response to Premier Ford's apology? While I can accept that it was well intentioned, I actually figure he should resign because of his consistent mishandling of the pandemic in Ontario. He simply isn't up to the job. I remember the good old days when leaders took responsibility for failures. 

But if Ford remains in office we can test his sincerity by looking to the steps he takes to act conscientiously on behalf of the nearly 15 million people who are depending on his leadership. Some consistent humility which involves listening to those who understand the science of epidemics and those on the front lines of healthcare would be an excellent start.