And if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast." – Jeremiah 4:2

Today's Scripture Reading (June 25, 2026): Jeremiah 4

Sorry, not sorry. Some phrases surprise me, and this is one of them. What I find surprising about the phrase is that it is relatively new, even though I think it has been a common experience throughout human history. How many times have you had to do something for which someone later demands an apology, but you don't feel the need to apologize? I am a Canadian, and we apologize for everything. In fact, I recently discovered that one of the many differences between Canadians and Americans is that, in the United States, "I'm sorry" is an admission of guilt. However, in Canada, "I'm sorry" is just considered polite. We apologize all the time, and yet, there are times when even I don't want to say the words, and my friends tell me I apologize more often than anyone else on the planet. (Sorry?) It is where the phrase comes in. Sorry, not sorry.

There are many ways to take the phrase. I am sorry that you misunderstood me. I am sorry that you took my words as a personal attack. I am sorry that you are so sensitive. I am not sorry for what I said or what I did. Sorry, not sorry.

Many years ago, I had a friend who was going through a relationship struggle with another lifelong friend, me. There was a situation for which my friend wanted an apology. Okay, I insulted Donald Trump, and my friend thought that I owed him an apology. My problem was multifaceted. I couldn't figure out why my comment about President Trump mattered so strongly to my friend. I honestly struggle with many of the things the American President does. I am a conservative who feels that conservative politics has turned "weird," for lack of a better word. Conservatives all over the world seem to no longer hold what I consider to be conservative values, like balanced budgets and small government. So, I could honestly tell my friend I was sorry, but the problem was that I wasn't sorry for the things my friend thought I should be sorry for. It was a classic "Sorry, not sorry" moment in our friendship. And it just about ended the relationship.

The next comment is often that we want a genuine apology. But genuine apologies are hard if you don't understand why an apology is being demanded. I am sure that you have been there. For an apology to help, it has to be heartfelt, which usually excludes our "Sorry, not sorry" reactions.

God isn't looking for an apology, but he does want a heartfelt oath stating "As surely as the Lord lives." And maybe that was part of the problem. Israel could state, as part of a ritual of worship, "As surely as the Lord lives." But did they mean it? (Did you mean the words that you sang in church last Sunday?) But God stresses to Jeremiah that he wants to bless the people, but they have to be sincere in their worship. It can't be just a bunch of words that we say or sing. It can't be an oath that we can recite from memory. God demands so much more than that. What God wants are words and worship that originate in the core of our being and flow out with overwhelming honesty. That is the worship our God demands from his people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 5