Going back seems to be the hardest thing

“………if you’re displeased, I will go back.” (Numbers 22:34.) Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose. Now if you’re displeased, I will go back.” That sounds easy isn’t it, but doing it is the hardest thing for many.

When we realized that our mistakes in the past have come to roost and thus stopping us from progressing, the obvious thing to do is to go back and put it right. Many times we mistakenly tend to take the easiest and quickest way to fix the mistake. By the time we realized that the quickest and the easiest option wouldn’t help the situation we find that the mistake had worsened so much so that going back to it wouldn’t be an option. We will like to carry on any way.

This doesn’t only happen with our relationship with God, but also partners, family members, friends or colleagues. We all have said or done things in the past that on hind -sight we’re ashamed off. It’s easy to identify the mistake but going back to fix it is the problem. Sometimes we feel we better not visit the old wounds. Rather some wounds will be better healed when it’s opened, and examined well and then patched.

It’s not only individuals who find going back to make things right difficult. Institutions are equally culprit when it comes to going back to put things right. One such institution is the church. The church is in the state it is today because of certain actions and inactions in the past. So many decisions have been made in the past that on hind-sight we will wish we haven’t made them. Many of these decisions either to do with our constitutional practice, theology, ecumenical relations, worship procedures have caused our progress.

In our various levels of meetings some decisions have been made that today when we look back we can’t believe we passed them. Should we revisit them? Why not if they’re standing in our way of progress. If the church will play its rightful role in the society then it should be humble to admit that it’s got certain things wrong, and be prepared to put it right.