A Moment Aside --- 29 June 2021
In our way of thinking, “grace”
makes no sense. We believe we have to earn things and prove ourselves worthy of
things. We like songs, films, stories, and legends of heroic things and grand
gestures that prove the do-ers worthy of the reward. It’s also been said that
things are worth what you pay for them, which leads to the problem of not
valuing that which we did not pay for. You know what I mean: something without
cost is without value and can be dismissed.
Grace goes against that.
Grace is without cost to the receiver (or it isn’t really grace, is it?) Such a
free gift brings with it the obligation of gratitude. This is hard to take for
we do not wish to be in debt to anyone. We might fear what might be required of
us to discharge that debt. We fear mockery over our weakness and need for such
grace.
True grace, the grace of
God, is different. There is no question of being worthy or of earning. Such grace
is given without demanding gratitude, even though gratitude would be the proper
response to such grace. There is no mockery or arrogance in the giving of
grace; it is given freely.
“Grace” in English implies an elegance of speech, movement, or life.
In other languages, it more often carries the idea of freely given. “Gratis” literally means free. And such
is grace.
“Grace embraces you before you prove anything
– and after you’ve done everything wrong.”
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