Gathering Magazine: Pentecost 1 2026

An apology is not as simple as offering an "I'm sorry." Forgiveness is not a quick response of "It's alright." As a church and as a country, we are being called upon to offer apologies as we are confronted with thousands of unmarked graves of Indigenous children buried at residential schools, as well as the truth of racism, sexism, and anti-LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit attitudes and actions. What does it mean to offer a genuine apology? Individuals who have personally experienced abuse may be urged to forgive their abuser, but how can they? And what does it mean to do so?

This issue will explore what apologies and forgiveness mean especially within the Christian faith, and what we have learned about the challenges of offering apologies and forgiveness from our personal expereinces.