Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Luke 17:3-5
David Taylor finished his veterinary training in 1956 and became one of the first surgeons to focus his practice on zoo and wild animals. He was in high demand around the world for his expertise in working with exotic and rare animals. In his autobiographical book Zoo Vet: Adventures of a Wild Animal Doctor, Taylor wrote about the way camels interact with their owners or handlers. “Camels may build up a pressure cooker of resentment toward human beings until the lid suddenly blows off and they go berserk. In Asia, when a camel driver senses trouble, he gives his coat to the animal.” Taylor explained that the idea is much like reports of Japanese workers relieving frustration by beating up models of their executives. The camel attacks the garment, jumping on it, biting it, and tearing it to pieces. “When the camel feels it has blown its top enough, man and animal can live together in harmony again.”
Because other people aren’t perfect and we aren’t either, it is inevitable that there will be conflict and misunderstanding and hurt feelings in human relationships. It is not wrong to have a disagreement with someone. But it is wrong not to attempt to restore the relationship. It is wrong to refuse to forgive. It is wrong to allow anger to build until it explodes. And when a relationship is damaged, God’s plan is not for us to sit back and wait until the other person apologizes and seeks forgiveness, but to do all that we can to take the initiative and make things right. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” (Matthew 18:15).
