Regret

"I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created - and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground - for I regret that I have made them." (Genesis 6:7)  It is comforting to me that God experiences regret.  I think that God knew that humanity could reach this level of depravity - but it was not a given.  A little before this promise of what God will do, he seems to make an assessment of his own character in relation to creation:  "My Spirit will not contend with human beings forever, for they are mortal;  their days will be a hundred and twenty years."  God seems to be making an adjustment in the original set up - or perhaps he is simply naming the natural consequences of the sin into which humanity had fallen.  At the rate humanity is going - I cannot put up with them forever.  God seems to be establishing some boundaries here - we are not going to be allowed to simply wallow in our sin forever.  There is an escape from the existential abyss - but it will come at a great cost.

This comfort - that God experiences regret - comes in the face of the deep regret of a decision our church community made together.  A decision I played a key role in.  I do not believe such a decision was a sin, maybe not even a mistake, though I have used this word in reference to the decision. If God experiences regret - does that mean he can make mistakes?  I don't really think this is the logical outcome - but rather, God regrets what we, as humans, decided to do with our freedom.

In recent months I have found myself falling into the mistaken notion that I can experience a life without regrets.  To be honest, even in looking over my life and the sorrow I have known as a result of my own sin and the sins of others, I cannot readily point to regret.  Perhaps I need to take a closer look.  Perhaps I need to scrutinize more deeply to find those things which I regret.  Perhaps I am living in denial.  I don't think I am likely to go there - but I can face into this current regret that is staring me in the face.  Who do I think I am to live a life without regrets if God himself regretted the very creation of humanity?

And that is where I find myself face to face with God - who also experiences regret and the sorrow of our sin .  We truly are in this all together.  Maybe living a life without regrets is possible - if we hand our regrets over to God - and allow him to carry them to the cross.  He is our father (and mother), after all.  That is what parents are supposed to do - help their kids clean up the messes they make.  And we parents know that we do experience regret - as we are helping our child clean up the entire gallon of milk she spilled all over the dining room floor because we let her pour it herself. (That is my own story - as a child - my own mother is the parent in that one - thanks, Mom!)  But it was not wrong for Mom to let me pour that milk myself - I insisted I was strong enough.  Mom probably new I might spill it, but also knew that I might find the strength to pour it without mishap.  And when I spilled it - I learned something about how NOT to hold the jug of milk next time.

The faith required in the face of regrets is that God is big enough, capable enough, to clean up the mess we have made - and as a good parent - he will require us to participate in that process.  It probably will not be fun.  And the dining room floor may smell like sour milk for quite a long time.