by 
The Gift of Grace
By Arlene F.
In the 1997 film The Apostle, Robert Duvall portrays a severely flawed preacher who, after a horrible life-changing act, flees his hometown. Finding himself in unfamiliar territory, he decides to form a new congregation. He tries to escape his past, but he can’t escape his character.
He is a born preacher, an evangelist, a true apostle of Christ. In one of his exuberant sermons, he declares, “Grace is free, but it ain’t cheap!”
This passage from Titus echoes that notion when it proclaims that Jesus Christ is grace personified. Grace is a gift from God born in Jesus of Nazareth and paid for by Christ’s witness, pain, and sacrifice.
And while grace is freely given, it demands something from us, too. Grace “trains us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age (calls us) to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly.” (vs. 12)
Grace is not a magic wand that wipes our life slates clean of flaws, sins, and mistakes. It doesn’t lessen our pain and struggles, but rather, buoys us up in the tumultuous times of our lives when we feel helpless or just plain worn out from trying to live a righteous life.
Grace can arrive in various forms and often comes to us unexpectedly. Writer Anne Lamott, in her book on prayer, Help, Thanks, Wow, talks of this quality of grace.
“I’ve seen grace manifest as spiritual WD 40, as water-wings, as ribbons of fresh air in dark, scary rooms,” she writes. “And I’ve witnessed the intervention of goofy angels, the poor short-straw angels who seem to draw me.” (p. 20)
The Advent Season, or Christmas time to the outside world, can be a time of great stress. Planning the perfect holiday, navigating complex family systems and even memories of past losses can affect our moods. And continuous reminders that this is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year only serves to heap guilt on top of stress and pain.
Take time to notice when grace arrives. Find times of peace during your busy days. Be gracious in your encounters with folks-especially those who annoy you the most. They probably are feeling the stress of the season, too. Show them what grace looks like.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the grace that surrounds us, waiting for us to notice and be touched by it. Lead us to moments when we can extend your compassion, love, and grace to those we meet. Amen.
