It is easier to ask forgiveness...
By Dick Juhl
“It is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.”
I had to mull over that quote to reveal its meaning. I think if a little girl or boy asked permission to play in a busy street, permission would probably not be given. If, on the other hand, they played in the busy street and got caught, they likely would ask forgiveness and they most likely would receive forgiveness. That was easy, wasn’t it? But what if a drunken driver killed someone you knew well? That driver did not ask permission to do that terrible thing. Could you forgive him or her?
Many people have spoken about “forgiveness.” Desmond Tutu writes: “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” Reinhold Niebuhr writes: “Forgiveness is the final form of love.” John F Kennedy said: “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” Jackson Brown, Jr. Wrote: “Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available: love, prayer, and forgiveness.”
So what about “permission”? I think we need permission when we may step on someone else’s rights, when it may avoid legal offense, or when it would be only the right thing to do. As an aside, I give myself permission to not do-over mistakes once made. I just give them new names.
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