Admitting We Got it Wrong: Often the Hardest Thing to Do

I had someone tell me that “When older Christians are told that, at some point in history, the Church may have gotten it wrong, it causes them to simply stop listening to what that person is saying.”  “Why?” I asked. The person replied, “Because older people do not want to think that the Church has been wrong.” 

I can understand. I don’t like to be wrong either. Yet, at some point I have to admit my wrongs – even if they are theological, doctrinal, or relational.

What if we had this attitude with cars?  What if you were told, “At some point your fuel pump sprung a leak, and now, several months later, you need to have it replaced,” would you argue for how it was before it sprung the leak or simply ignore it? I don’t think so. 

When we find out something is wrong, we fix it, replace it, or change it. Sadly though, that is not how it often is within the Church. We like the extremes – fight until your beliefs win or ignore it and maybe it will go unnoticed.

If faith truly is a process and not a transaction, I sense that I will spend a lot of time in my lifetime realizing I got it wrong and needing to change. The Church is made up of humans and has been doing this since its infancy as well - remember the Galileo controversy, slavery and race issues, gender equality, the AIDS epidemic, and the list could go on.    

We haven’t seen just one “reformation” in the Church but many - including some reoccurring because we still haven’t righted the wrongs. Sure, the Church has become better educated. We have experienced more universally. We have come to understand more. Yet, even more importantly, isn’t the promise of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, to teach us, to help us understand the mysteries of our faith?

Just saying that there are mysteries implies that at times we are going to get it wrong. No matter how much we think we know – there will always be mysteries with faith, with God, with religion.  Thus the Holy Spirit has his job cut out for him. 

The reality is that we the Church are going to from time-to-time have to admit “we got it wrong” -- not simply ignore it or not be willing to admit it. And yes, at times we might find out that we were wrong in other areas as well - that our own wants and desires have caused leaks to spring unexpectedly over time.

The good news is that when we realize we are wrong, and we humbly admit it, usually that is when God is doing something great in and among those he has called.  It is alright to admit we were wrong - because then we can get it right!