Today the world is keenly aware of past wrongs. Events, conversations, photos, emails, social media posts, and text messages are being reexamined in the context of today’s social concerns. In some cases, historical figures are being looked at in a new light. In other cases, living individuals are subject to public ridicule, career loss, and even criminal prosecution for events and communications—some more recent, some long ago.
Certainly, human justice demands that actual crimes be punished, and we’ve recently seen high-profile cases prosecuted. Other unjust actions require reformation and, often, restitution, and that has also occurred to some degree of late.
Many times, those who have committed past wrongs are genuinely sorry for their words and actions. However, to truly atone for past bad behavior, something more is required: reformation.
