«…It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!» - Luke 17:1

I once visited a man of God I respected. I visited him because I wanted to develop a relationship with him. First of all, I wanted to clear up an issue in which this pastor had said negative things about us. It had been a very painful experience to hear him denigrate us and despise us because of the good relationship we had had with him for years.

On bringing up the issue, he reacted with extreme exasperation, «What are you talking about? I don’t even remember such an event.» We felt so stupid for even bringing up the issue. We also felt silly for even trying to relate to someone so great! My associate and I left that office with our tails between our legs, never to return.

We were the most insignificant and unimportant visitors to that man of God's office. We grinned like embarrassed sheep as we left the company of that great man of God. Indeed, our relationship was broken forever. We felt obtuse and brainless for having even tried to relate with these powerful men. Many years later, this pastor fell into great difficulty and lost his church and position. I was surprised to see him standing in the congregation and looking at me in awe as I laid the foundation for one of our cathedrals.

Perhaps, an important spiritual relationship and link was broken. Who knows what good would have come out of our relationship if only we had not been made to feel so dim-witted by this exasperated man of God. Learn not to trivialise someone's hurts and offences.