Making Room for Regret

Three things prompt my sharing Kathryn Schultz’s TEDTalk on regret. The first is one of the lectionary readings appointed for this Sunday, Jeremiah 31:31-34, that talks about God forgetting Israel’s sins. In a column I wrote on this passage for preachers, I suggested that we might all take a leaf from God’s notebook and a) trust that God really does forget our sins and b) maybe we should try to forget them – and those of others – as well. But Kathryn’s talk, entitled “Don’t Regret Regret,” reminded me that some things are worth remembering – including some of our regrets. Why? Because our regrets can...