A Letter to Scout on Repentance and Forgiveness

Dear Scout,

I’ve been thinking about repentance and forgiveness. Often, when I think about these words, I think of them in terms of person-to-person and/or person-to-God. 

If I do something that hurts another person, I say, “I’m sorry. How can I make amends? Will you forgive me?” 

If someone does something to hurt me, I hope to hear, “I’m sorry. How can I make amends? Will you forgive me?”

If I do something to hurt God, I say, “I’m sorry. How can I make amends? Will you forgive me?”

You get the picture.

The saying and doing help to restore the relationship. The saying and doing show that we love God and that we love God by loving our neighbor.

But what if I think of repentance and forgiveness in terms of institution-to-person? What happens when an institution hurts someone? What happens when the way a society is structured hurts someone—or a whole group of people?

How does an institution say, “I’m sorry. How can I make amends? Will you forgive me?”

In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you showed how the institution of racism, of white supremacy, hurts people. You showed that a society structured on white rule hurts people.

You showed Atticus defending Tom Robinson and proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he didn’t rape Mayella Ewell.

In his closing statement to a jury of 12 white men, you had Atticus say:

“There is one way in this country in which all men are created equal – there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentleman, is a court. I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system – that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentleman will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man to his family. In the name of God, do your duty.”

Yet those 12 white men, to a person, said “Guilty” when the verdict was read.

They did not review the evidence they heard without passion. They did not restore Tom to his family. They were unjust.

All because of white supremacy. All because of the power and structure of white rule. All because of institutional racism.

The institution—the structure of society—didn’t say, “I’m sorry. What can I do to make amends? Will you forgive me?”

As a result, Tom Robinson lost his life and his family suffered indelible harm.

A whole people were kept segregated and discriminated against. A whole people were allowed to keep on being evil and doing evil.

I see this happening in my day, Scout.

Thanks for sharing a story that gives me the courage to stand up, speak out, and write against institutional and structural evil.

Thanks for showing me the way.

Auribus cordis audi.

In friendship,

Trevor.