“Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.” Right relationships are so difficult to maintain, but essential in the body of Christ. Mt. 18.15-20. In any relationship, hurts are going to happen, and over the course of time, accumulate. Misunderstandings, miscommunications, misinterpretations, and bad moods are inevitable. It’s very rare for friendships to continue for one’s whole life. I could give you endless examples of people, even family members, who don’t speak to each other any more, because somewhere along the way there was an offense or misunderstanding that caused a breach and that was the end of it. It’s easy to do, and it happens all the time. Life gets in the way, and it’s too hard to try to work it through, and too often there isn’t the will to work it through. We get to the point where the hurt was too much, or the work would take too long, or we just don’t feel like it.
The problem is—that isn’t God’s way. Reconciliation is the rule of our lives as Christians. God says, If you sin against someone, go make it right. Be a person of goodwill.