As a philosophy, the theology of grace sounds wonderful. As an orthodoxy, it reads well. The problem with grace comes, as it does with almost any theology or philosophy, in its practical application. Why is grace so hard?
Grace says that all people, in every place, throughout time have received from God the gift of unconditional and universal salvation. It is freely given, without merit or condition of receipt or use. Grace is made available to everyone through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. God did the work in him. No act of commission or omission can undo what God has accomplished for us in Christ. No sin is unforgivable. No personal or communal limitation is so crippling that it bars persons from access to grace. No flaw is so deep that it discredits persons.
As part of our regular 7:00 p.m. service here at Shiloh Church, those who gather discuss the evening's message, or texts, or theological/spiritual issues that had been raised. Last night, the topic was grace. Why is it so difficult, and why does no one seem to appreciate when grace is exercised?
The group surfaced three issues. Firstly, grace sounds great until one has to put it into action with someone who does not merit our forgiveness or assistance. Secondly, grace-in-action always seems to throw us into criticism, rejection, or the charge of being "liberal." Thirdly, grace always ends up costing us more than we receive in return.
What about grace in relationship with those who do not merit it? The funny thing about grace is that none of us merit it. None of us has been so perfect, so righteous, so sinless, so near to God's will for us, that we deserve the gift of salvation. We have in no way earned it. Does right belief earn us grace? Does righteous action? Does proper orthodoxy or polite deportment? No. We have not earned the grace that we have received. Why in the world should we limit grace to those who look rightly, seem good, live well or behave politely? The radical nature of grace means that it is available to precisely those who have not worked for it.
Why does grace always seem to lead to rejection or criticism? The United Church of Christ had always been on the periphery of American religious and political life. The denomination had traditionally stood with the disenfranchised, the rejected, the challenged and the maligned. Because we have stood with those on the fringes of society, the denomination placed itself on the fringes with them. Grace is fringe-work. Its very nature draws criticism. Polite society raises a collective eyebrow at those who work on the fringes. By the way, who ever said that grace would be widely accepted or popular? Certainly, neither Jesus nor Paul ever held that silly notion. Applied grace is almost always dangerous and disruptive to status quos. It is, therefore, always up for question.
Why does grace seem to be so costly? Did you ever notice that an act of grace costs the giver in direct proportion to any perceived wrong? If you are acting in forgiveness with someone who you have perceived to have done you a wrong, the cost of grace will be paid by the one doing the forgiving. Well, of course. Grace comes from the archetype of Crucifixion/Resurrection. Christ pays the cost of universal salvation by offering the gift of his own life. He paid, as it were, for us. The cost of grace is borne by the giver of grace.
Grace, while a lovely philosophy and a thrilling theology, is tremendously difficult to apply in actual, everyday living. This should not be surprising at all, since it is grounded in Christ's sacrifice. The problem lies in following him in its application That is no small feat and should shock no one. Our faith is called Christianity, not easy-to-do-happy-fun-time. Grace requires much from us in response. Who is willing to pay the price?
No comments:
Post a Comment