It was the poet Alexander Pope who said that "To err is human . . ." Mark Smith looks at human failings and the nature of forgiveness.
During the recent disintegration of Tiger Woods' marriage several confessions were made.
"I regret those transgressions," said Woods, and in other places he spoke of his "personal sins".
Some have commented "the guy's a human being and we forget that", but beyond the infidelities of sporting legends there are plenty of examples of human failings.
As Alexander Pope said "To err is human . . ." And as humans we do indeed err pretty badly.
Closer to home, we have our own examples of the Swann fraud, Clayton Weatherston's horrific attack and Dr Bouwer poisoning his own wife.
Are these just extreme examples - bad apples in a largely good basket? Or is it that all apples have something flawed about them to a greater or lesser degree?
Even reading the Otago Daily Times you can't get as far as the court news before you become aware of the reality of human failings.
Why are people so selfish, jealous or greedy? Why are addictions so hard to break? Why do people lust rather than love? Why are people so self-absorbed? Why do people struggle with anger, anxiety and arrogance? Why do people err so often?
At some point, most of us are confronted with our own personal failings where we have strayed far from our ideals.
It is then that the question arises that if life is just the result of a massive but accidental cosmic explosion and human nature is just animal instinct with a craving for survival, then what do values and ideals really count for?
Human nature is human nature for better or for worse, and there is nothing morally right or wrong about it.
Indiscretions could hardly be referred to as erring let alone "personal sins" as suggested by Tiger Woods.
It seems to me that the situation is far more complicated than this.
C. S. Lewis, an ex-atheist, suggests that this is too simple an explanation to deal effectively with the complexities of the real world.
Historic Christianity argues that we are fallen and broken.
That erring, per se, was not part of our original make-up.
Rather, through our rejecting of the One who gave us life and significance, we break down and malfunction, acting outside of our original design.
Erring, or sin as the Bible calls it, dehumanises and enslaves us.
The very core of our being is affected and it influences the way we relate to everything: God, people, the world and even ourselves.
In Stephen Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People he talks about re-examining the centre of your life, your source of security, guidance, wisdom and power.
He reasons that if someone is spouse-centred they tend to have an emotional dependence on their partner.
Money-centred people can't handle the ups and downs of economic life, and tend to sideline family or other priorities.
A pleasure-centred person fails to get that lasting satisfaction they crave, and tends to follow the paths of least resistance, generally leaving them lethargic and unfulfilled.
I agree with Mr Covey that we all centre our lives on something, and that something influences or shapes us, and in effect controls us.
Having the wrong thing at the centre is the dilemma behind the erring.
I would suggest that this is the spring from which our behaviour flows, and it is this "wrongness within" that accounts for the tragic headlines in our newspapers, and the burdens of our hearts.
But there is more that needs to be added because Alexander Pope not only said "To err is human . . ." but also "to forgive is divine . . ."
And he was right; Christianity says there is no situation that is unredeemable, no flaws so great they are unforgivable.
God is in the business of restoration.
He begins with the offer of forgiveness, because in all our flaws and failings He is the one who is most offended.
He then starts reclaiming the centre or core and works towards a transformation of our lives.
He does it through the costly redeeming work of his own Son.
So instead of hearing about another celebrity indiscretion and sadly exclaiming once again "To err is human . . ." the Christian faith allows this person, along with the rest of us who mess up, the opportunity to face the reality and consequences of our wrongness, and the chance to experience something of the divine forgiveness and restoration.
Mark Smith is pastor of Grace Bible Church