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Extending Grace

 


We seem to be living in a time where empathy for one another is in short supply. Racial issues continue to divide our nation and cause us to fixate on what makes us different rather than focusing on our similarities and what bonds us together. Politics and upcoming elections separate us into groups of conservatives versus liberals or republicans versus democrats, glossing over the fact that at the end of the day we are all Americans. Even health and personal liberty concerns seem to segregate us into camps of mask wearers and social rebels.

There seems to be a tendency to forget our opinions are not facts and our perspectives are not perfect. And as a society, we are losing our ability to listen to the beliefs of others or see life from another’s point of view. We treat those who disagree with us not just as wrong and uninformed, but as stupid and immoral.

We need grace. For ourselves and for those around us. And that does not imply compromise. We can still hold fast to our values while allowing those who disagree with us to feel heard and respected. And even when those who oppose our beliefs and worldview come at us with aggression and aggravation, we can still treat them with kindness and decency.

After all, that is what grace is, unearned or unmerited favor and kindness. It is returning aggression with gentleness, animosity with care, and accusations with seeking understanding. Seek to extend grace in a world that so desperately needs it. 

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