Rod Wilson believes three short statements have power to change the world: “Thank you!” “I’m sorry!” And “Tell me more!” These statements are ways all people, but especially Christians, can live out the meaning of Jesus’ Great Commandment.

“How we relate to others flows from our relationship with God. Love is the action. People are the recipients,” Wilson writes. “Expressing ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘Tell me more’ to people is putting words to love. I see you. I notice you. We impact each other. For Jesus, loving God but not loving others is the ultimate contradiction,” he concludes.

“Thank you,” “I’m sorry,” and “Tell me more” express the attitudes of gratitude, remorse, and care, respectively.

They stand in stark contrast to three other statements that are prevalent in North American culture: “I deserve it,” “It’s not my fault,” and “My story matters most.” Those statements reflect the attitudes of entitlement, victimization, and individualism, respectively.

Not only do gratitude, remorse, and care contrast with entitlement, victimization, and individualism, they are the antidote for them. Gratitude replaces entitlement, remorse victimization, and care individualism.

Gratitude, remorse, and care help us recognize the consequences of actions on our relationships. “If we say ‘Thank you,’ we’re acknowledging the way others impact us,” Wilson writes. “If we say,‘I’m sorry,’ we’re acknowledging the way we impact others. If we say ‘Tell me more,’ we’re acknowledging the way we impact each other.”

Wilson’s book is short. Rather than detail how to practice gratitude, remorse, and care—or how not to!—he tells brief stories that illustrate important principles about each value. The book is an easy read, but attentive readers will notice that the surface simplicity of its stories goes deep to the heart of the issues.

Although individuals can read Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More. by themselves, I think its best use is by teams. It includes discussion questions for each statement. This makes it perfect as a three-session book club or leadership development meeting. It is written for a general audience, so it acceptable for use in a secular environment or in a church or ministry setting.

Finally, a word about the author: Rod Wilson has worked as a psychologist, pastor, and college president. He currently works with Lumara Grief and Bereavement Care Society, A Rocha, the Society of Christian Schools in BC, and In Trust Center for Theological Schools, as well as maintaining an international teaching and mentoring ministry.

Book Reviewed
Rod Wilson, Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More. How to Change the World with 3 Sacred Sayings (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2022).

P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.