God Who Said Sorry

Pointing to the figure of Christ on the cross hanging above the altar the parish priest spoke to the small boy sitting with his classmates: "e;That's what your wickedness does to God's Son"e;. The child in question belonged to the poorest in the village and was the victim of relentless bullying and abuse by violent parents. An obstacle to faith, insuperable to many, is that the suffering endured by the innocent is incompatible with the existence of a compassionate and just Creator God. The remedy for this stumbling block is indicated in the book's title: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is seen as God's apology to the innocent victims of evil, the recompense owed to them by a righteous and loving Creator whose responsibility for evil is ultimate, whatever the responsibility of humans may be. By this "e;sorry"e; from the cross, the grip of evil is annulled and the dehumanization of the innocent reversed. Biblical evidence is examined throughout and attention to the gospel of Mark shows divine apology to be central to the power of Jesus' death and resurrection to overcome evil and so make dignity and hope available to the innocent in their pain. The way would appear to be open to new ventures and idioms of engagement with the weak and oppressed in religion, church and society. The God Who Says Sorry may irk those who make guilt and repentance preconditions of access to the God who loves enough to say sorry.