The most prominent news in the last few days relates to Baroness Hussey (Lady Susan Hussey), a lifelong believer and one of the late Queen's best friends. She is an Anglo-Catholic and for years has attended a reportedly '90% ethnic minority' church, St Agnes Church, Kennington (Church of England). The church has now spoken up for their much admired member.
This week, Lady Susan resigned over offending Ms Fulani through socially chatting to her, while acting as a voluntary hostess at a reception at Buckingham Palace on domestic violence. Ms Fulani claims she did not want to 'cancel' Lady Hussey in spite of posting the intimacies of their conversation all over social media, (rather than expressing her feelings to her, privately). Yet, reportedly, an offer by Lady Hussey to apologise to her directly has not been taken up.
Nevertheless, Lady Hussey has apologised, but these days an apology and losing one's role (including one's reputation, status and community) is not sufficient. The offender has to be 'hung out to dry', even if she is aged 83, partially deaf and born into another age.
The Royal family themselves, probably out of fear, are hanging their intimate insider 'out to dry', probably on account of threats from Harry and Meghan who are accusing them of 'institutional racism'. As The Times has said, the Royal Family should have resisted the temptation of 'the knee-jerk reaction'.
Christianity teaches forbearance, toleration, respect for the elderly and understanding of the kind of world that people come from. It teaches that someone apologising and repenting (vowing to change course) results in complete forgiveness by God, Himself. Also, God does not forgive us our sins unless we forgive others who have apologised to us. Being merciful is central to the Christian faith (and to civilisation). No one running any kind of vendetta can claim to be a Christian.
Reflecting on that teaching, the only person who has apologised is Lady Hussey - but she cannot be forgiven or restored. Her reputation must be left in tatters and she must put up with being called "disgraced" (albeit by the Daily Mail) - even after having apologised.
There is nothing more precious to someone than their reputation: not money, not past achievements, not possessions. To lose a lifelong good reputation is spiritually crushing, even for believers. To be labelled 'a racist' is something so unendurable, so alienating, that one might as well be called 'a thief', or 'sexual predator', or worse.
What is being forgotten here is that even if someone is a proven racist, if they apologise, to withhold restoration and forgiveness from them is wrong, before God. God condemns those who run campaigns against the repentant. That means that vendettas of all kinds will fall under His judgment.
"Vengeance is mine (i.e alone)", says the Lord.
A helpful piece of advice is "Before you conduct a campaign of revenge against someone, dig two graves (one for yourself)."
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