Faith leaders on true forgiveness in Will Smith aftermath: Is saying ‘I’m sorry’ enough?

Faith leaders and others are sharing their reactions to the “apology” that actor Will Smith offered to comedian Chris Rock on social media after Smith’s shocking slap of Rock on Sunday night in front of millions during the live broadcast of the Oscars.

More broadly, they’re commenting on what true forgiveness is — or should be.

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Can a few words of regret put out on a social media platform (after backlash and possible punitive action by the Academy) be enough to address the damage done by an unprovoked act of violence toward someone else?

“We should never forget how quickly we can fail — and how we need God’s grace at every moment of our lives.” 

Here is some thoughtful, prayerful input from three faith leaders on a troubling occurrence that millions of people are still talking about well past Sunday evening.  

‘We must choose to forgive at every moment’

“No one slaps another person on international TV without having resentment that has built up for a long time,” noted Dr. Jeff Myers, president of Summit Ministries (summit.org), who is based in Manitou Springs, Colorado. “That kind of anger doesn’t go away by saying the words ‘I’m sorry’ and then pretending that it never happened.”

Myers added, “In the Christian tradition, believers daily express our sorrow for what we have done and left undone. The goal isn’t shame — but mindfulness. We should never forget how quickly we can fail — and how we need God’s grace at every moment of our lives.” 

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Yet “forgiveness is also ongoing,” Myers also said. 

“Saying ‘I forgive you’ to a person doesn’t mean the offense is erased. We must choose to forgive at every moment of every day.”