When reparations cannot be made, then make an offering to God. Read Numbers 5:8. Reparations are one way of making wrong things right, and the idea of reparations goes all the way back to Moses. If we harm someone, we are to admit the wrong we have done and then repair the harm by asking forgiveness and reimbursing the person through acts of service or monetary equivalent. However, there may be situations when going to the person to ask forgiveness may be either impossible or cause more harm. If the person is no longer alive, it is still important to work through the harm you have done by admitting it and asking God to forgive you. There are also some cases where you might do more harm. One example is if the person was traumatized by your actions and would be further traumatized if you were to contact the person. Another reason to refrain from seeking reparations would be if the person has requested that you not contact them. In this case, it is important to respect their wishes. Still another example where you may need to refrain from contact is if making amends would put yourself in danger. The goal of reparations is to repair relationships, but we must use discernment so we are not forcing the issue. Remember that the reason the relationship is broken is because of your actions. Moses made a way for us to make restitution for what we have done, even if we cannot repair the relationship. We are to determine the amount of restitution that we would give, and then give that amount to God. The Bible calls this a guilt offering. By making the offering, we are using more than just our words to ask forgiveness; we are showing that our words have meaning with an accompanying offering to God.

Holy God, give me the humility I need to look honestly at my actions and determine what I have done to hurt others. Give me the determination to make wrong things right through my confession and willingness to repair broken relationships. Give me discernment on whether or not to reach out to those I have harmed to make amends or to refrain from reaching out in order not to cause more harm. Amen.