Skip to main content

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. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Toxic Humility

We have all seen false humility: the guy who tries to hide his arrogance with feigned modesty. It’s usually pretty obvious and always obnoxious. But there is also another variation of false humility out there: toxic humility. This is often displayed in self-deprecating talk and a lack of self-confidence, belittling or undermining one’s own talents and abilities. The danger in this kind of behavior is twofold: it is too often accepted as true humility and like a virus, it spreads doubt and disbelief. To clarify, it is not that the bearer of this toxic humility isn’t honest about his view of himself. That is the very issue: he absolutely believes he has little value or utility. He thinks downplaying his own worth is humility but I disagree. CS Lewis said it best when he wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less.” His point being, true humility is not an ever-present raincloud of self-doubt that follows you around. It’s a focus on...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Intentionality

  “Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make you.” – Richie Norton   I am not even sure who Richie Norton is, but I love that quote! I imagine a ship drifting out to sea, pushed around by the wind and the waves. No course of direction, yet the captain is frustrated when the ship ends up dashed against the rocks, trapped on a sandbar or marooned on an inhospitable island. It is easy to complain when life takes us where we do not want to go. But who is really to blame if we have never set our sails to align us along an appropriate course? Do we blame the waves, wind and the weather? Or should we blame the captain of the ship? It is our life and our ship. We must set our sails with intentionality and determined choices. Otherwise, we are doomed to aimlessly drift along according to the choices and decisions of others. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Last Chance

  This morning I was running on the treadmill with an empty treadmill right beside me. This is nothing out of the ordinary since I intentionally plan my workouts at times when the gym is not busy. However, this time that empty treadmill meant much more than just a slow time at the gym. About three weeks ago I was on the same treadmill as I was this morning, and my friend J was on the treadmill beside me. I was cooling down from my workout and just able to catch my breath enough to chat with J for a while. We shared a couple of laughs, talked about some struggles, and then went our separate ways. How was I to know that would be the last time I would ever see him? Three nights ago, I received a text that J had passed away earlier that evening. J is a big, strong guy in his mid-40s, and his passing came as a complete shock. I sat on the couch in stunned silence as I digested the tragic news. This morning, the sight of that empty treadmill hit me hard. J will never walk beside me...
Post a Comment
Read more