Bishop May,
I’ve been thinking about our conversation on this subject.
I feel there’s yet another way for the sister in question to demonstrate her true desire to repent and that is she helps her boyfriend seek repentance, too. While she is not responsible for his actions or his activity in the Church, she can show the Lord how much she wants to be forgiven by helping her friend to understand the importance of him going to his bishop and making things right with the Lord, as she is doing.
Frankly, she’s going to want to know if he’s willing to do that. If he’s not interested in confessing and forsaking, she will then know that their relationship will not end well. There’s no possibility of a happy, long-term relationship, which is what she really desires…not just to be held and cared for by a man.
So in addition to forsaking their behavior that has led to this deep sorrow, she will want to do everything she can to convince him to get his life in order. If he responds favorably, then they’ll have a solid footing on which to base a new relationship of respect, admiration and mutual yearning to regain trust with God. If he declines, then she’ll know she can't trust him, that in his eyes their relationship is all about his personal gratification.
When we visit again to determine if a disciplinary council is needed, among other things I’ll want to know what efforts she’s making to help him and how she is responding to his response.
Thanks,
PrL
No comments:
Post a Comment