The years of my life have, like a spider, spun out their tale.

Psalm 89

Today in church I prostrated myself, whuch is to say I bowed deeply, with knees and forehead touching the floor, to my spiritual fathers and to every single other person present, and asked forgiveness for the things I have done that caused them offense. And they in turn asked me. The little kids. The old folks. My personal friends, and people to whom I’ve never spoken a word. We forgave each other, and reminded each other that God forgives. Forgiveness is important, says my spiritual father, but change is more important. Am I changed today? Are you? Are you trying? People change, but not everything. Sometimes the changes are big and important, other times more like storms or fluctuations. When you love a person, you learn to accept those things. Forgiveness is unbroken love in the face of such changes. Love grows, and growth is change, too.