Oh, Personal Profit then Public Purpose. Oh, I get it now.

Lee Atwater. Glenn Beck. Megyn Kelley.

Oh, I get it. Make money by being provocative, fueling fires, and oh then, I have found God, I have seen the light. I am human. Sorry. Well, forgiveness is fundamental but it begins and continues with transparency, acknowledgement and a commitment to make amends.

Somehow, even with the best of Christian intentions I struggle with how best to consider those who have gone extreme right, played on racial fears with the loudest dog whistles possible — then have regrets. Forgiveness requires acknowledgment and cleaning up the mess. Have these folks done that? Well, Lee Atwater is dead.

Glenn presents himself as now having seen the light. And Megyn is on a book tour after sharing how she has spoken out for herself in her work environment. Good for her. But specific to Megyn Kelly, how does she grapple with her past, including:

1. That time she assured all the little children that Santa and Jesus are white
2. When she blamed Sandra Bland’s death on her own noncompliance to a traffic violation arrest
3. She objected to “forcibly” diversifying neighborhoods
4. When she called Michelle Obama a whiner for speaking about racism
5. When she said that racist emails are totally normal.

Yeah, I know, calling people out is so PC. So passé. And perhaps we live in a world where language does not matter. Nor facts. Forgiveness and redemption will always matter, but it is a journey and respect is earned, not demanded — and it will happen when the aggrieved is ready to come to the table. The offender’s journey may require patience.