Perhaps one of the most recognizable hymns is “Amazing Grace.” Its timeless lyrics seem to be able to speak into each of our lives, regardless of what we have, or are, going through. Recently I have been rereading the classic by Philip Yancey, “What’s so Amazing about Grace?” In his unique and authentic style he asks the question, “With all our emphasis on the message of ‘grace,’ why are we as Christians not immediately identified as gracious?”

     A journalist by trade, he asked people on the street,  what word came to mind when they heard ‘evangelical Christian.’ It is likely no surprise that the responses were mostly a political description or by something they thought we were against. Not once did he hear that we were a people full of grace. In a world increasingly filled with ungrace, I wonder if  we are more concerned with engaging in culture wars than being a haven of grace? While his anecdotal research was some twenty years ago, I am not sure much has changed.

    Now I claim to be an expert on the topic, but I do know that I, likely along with most of the human race, long for it. The reality is that I have to fight the ungrace in my own life – the pride, the judgmentalism, and trying to earn God’s approval. I suspect we fear that if we offer the kind of grace that Jesus did (particularly to those who definitely do not deserve it), people will not take responsibility for their lives or be accountable. I think we also wrestle with the notion that if we offer such lavish grace to others, it will be interpreted as condoning their actions.

     Yet in a contentious world, we as believers should be that one source of grace. Though it seems that social media and a host of other modern day realities are making our world and relationships more caustic, I think people are starving for grace. What better place to find it than though us – those who have experienced His undeserved divine grace. This impacts all of us personally, as well as the broader global challenges we face as a ministry, extending grace to those on either side of a military conflict and even those who have differing political persuasions..

     It is this message of grace that draws people to the life and message of Jesus. Fallen humans that we are, it seems so natural to turn this undeserved gift of grace into a instrument to judge and condemn others; using it to create divisions, rather than to build relational bridges.

     The woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery, as well as the thief on the cross (to name a few) experienced a grace that was as unexplainable to them then as it is for us today. We need it, we long for it. . .but after receiving it, it seems difficult for us to offer it to others.

     Obviously there are many who show such grace to others (most likely you included), but I for one need to be reminded to make the effort to fulfill the prayer of the little English girl who prayed, “O God, make the bad people good and the good people nice.”