I've been thinking and learning about Grace a lot lately. Frequently a word taken for granted or thrown around without understanding, Grace (charis) has been on my mind and, given the nature of our trip, it seemed apropos to include my thoughts here.
The tension of the Gospel is the conflict between Grace and Justice. I grew up understanding Justice like Physics (those of you who have heard my diatribe on physics will have to set it aside): Justice is the irrefutable, inescapable Law. Action to reaction. God is holy and an action of unholiness is countered, balanced out by an action of punishment. The same law applies on a smaller scale for humans (micro-justice): if you hurt me, I have a right to compensation (hurt you, talk bad about you, receive an apology). Like Physics, I was glad when Justice applied to the world at large; it keeps things orderly and prevents anarchy. However, I frequently want to be the exception. I want the good things I "deserve", but not the bad.
Allow me a brief tangent on Rights and the word Deserve: As an American, I appreciate rights and have grown up with them as a cultural value (and they are a good thing, thank God for the blessings he has given us to have them). As I've walked with Christ though, he has called me again and again and again to lay down my Rights for other people (each time so painful, like prying a Dr. Pepper away from me right before the first sip). Ministry is laying down ones rights for other people. What do you feel entitled to? The parable of the unmerciful servant comes to mind (Matthew 18:21+). "Deserve" is a dangerous word to use as a people redeemed. We deserve death in all its forms (physical, spiritual, eternal) as rebels against the God who is Life.
Back on point, our world is dark. The very ground cries out to God because of the brokenness and the darkness. We need Justice so very badly (I think of Psalm 94:3-7, "How long oh Lord?"). Wickedness does indeed seem to run rampant in our world. Young boys forced to kill their families and become child soldiers, young girls forced into things that make my heart weep, people starving while leaders pocket illicit fortunes... Liars, thieves, traitors, murderers and rapists populate the earth. And what is our God going to do about it?
If they want, he'll forgive them. He'll honor them, rejoice that they want him, call them "friend" and "beloved."
Will Campbell sums up the Gospel like this: "We are all bastards but God loves us anyway." He chose his words both for shock value and for the literal sense of our illegitimacy before God adopts us as sons and daughters.
The unfairness of Grace throws me off. As often as I claim to be grace-filled (definitely not graceful though), would I forgive someone who hurt those I love? Do I even forgive that guy who is rude to me in traffic? Anger (not inherently a bad thing), is our God-given response to injustice. Yet we are called to offer Grace.
As soon as I get upset by that, God reminds me which side I was on; that apart from Grace, I was a Wicked One. My labels now are beloved son, heard of God, friend of God, righteous, holy, included in the Bride of Christ. Apart from Grace they would be liar, adulterer, enemy of God, child of the devil, object of wrath...
The message we preach, however, is not that God let all of this piled-up injustice slide by. Any God who did that would not be Just and therefore not be Good. No, the truth is much harsher, much more beautiful, much more humbling. The truth is that God stored up all that wrath from all the sins from all the people from all time. He took it all, focused it into one powerful, wrath-filled stroke, and unleashed it onto his only-begotten, beloved, perfect son, Jesus. Jesus didn't just die. He died under all of the wrath we deserved. Grace isn't unjust, but it sure is unfair.
Thank you Jesus. Thank you.
Amén. Lo más hermoso de la Verdad y la Realidad existe. Bien dicho y gracias por compartir eso, hermano!
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