Pander And Grovel

South Carolina's governor, Mark Sanford, of "sneak away to Argentina to see my soul mate" fame, published a letter of apology today in which he expresses his faith in the principle of (Christian) forgiveness.

It is true that I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels, but equally true is the fact that God can make good of our respective wrongs in life.

So first he must admit he was wrong and bring God into the picture because he's just a weak human just like the rest of us.

If you ever have the misfortune of being at this point, whether self-induced as in my case or not, it will give you an indeed amazing perspective on life and on what really matters.

That's a mixed message. I suppose the misfortune of being caught can give you an amazing perspective on life. Now was the self-induced part when he first started cheating or when his wife asked him to leave?

One, forgiveness and grace really do matter. I used to believe that at an intellectual level; now it is at the level of heart. Over my life I have not given enough of either, and yet given all the ways in which my failings have come to light, I write to apologize for, in the most profound of ways, letting you and so many others down. It’s always the people closest to us whom we hurt the most, and given my standing of public trust, I know I’ve hurt many across our state. I apologize for this, and more than anything would ask for your forgiveness going forward.

Because what's really important here is that South Carolinians forgive him, especially now that he recognizes how important forgiveness is.

Two, life is indeed about way more than public standing or political views; it’s about recognizing that none of us is the arbiter of truth, that there are moral absolutes and that there is a God to whom we will all report for our actions. My failure has been most glaring on this front, where no public apology can make wrong right. As a consequence, it is on this plane that I’ve grown the most over the past weeks — and where I’m committed to growing the most going forward.

Yes, this is far more important than the office he wants to stay in. Let's forgive and move forward.

I’ve been humbled and broken as never before in my life, and as a consequence have given up areas of control in a way that I never have before. And it is my belief that this will make me a better father, husband, friend and advocate.

The poor man. You'll also notice this is the only time he mentions his role as a father and husband because the reason for this letter of apology is so he can remain in office.

Micah 6:8 asks us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly, and as I begin these steps into the last 18 months of this administration, it will indeed be with a more contrite and humble spirit.

We must not forget to include appropriate quotes from the Bible that support your line of thinking. I wonder why he didn't mention these two:

Deuteronomy 22:22 "If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die."

Leviticus 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death."

Wait, she's not married. Why all the fuss?