Quite a few decades back, when Dad still lived and could fish his beloved Sierra streams, we pulled off to the side of the road about where the South Fork of Oak Creek joined the main stream. With the limit then at ten per day per person and having 14, we agreed we’d each just get three to stay safe and went off in different directions for an hour or so. I pulled in three nice ones early and kept fishing, planning on releasing any I caught. Yeah, next hole I landed the biggest yet. BUT, he swallowed the hook and was already bleeding badly, so had to keep him.
I prayed that Dad, a master stream fisherman, would only catch two. He failed me, having three, giving us 21. So we put them on ice and pulled out two beers and talked about the fishing. Just then, that standard pale green truck of the Department of Fish and Game came up the road, slowed down as he saw our poles, and stopped. The game warden asked, “How’s the fishing?”
“Not bad.”
“Can I see them?
He carefully counted them. 21. He counted again. No trout magically disappeared, “Well, that is over the limit. Not egregiously (yeah, he used that word, which impressed me), but it is a violation.” From earlier “Dear John” letters I knew the real message comes after “but,” and expected a ticket, so I volunteered as the culprit. I was.
“Tell you what. Give me the smallest, I know an Indian family who could use a meal.” We handed it over and he drove off with a smile and his ticket book intact. We smiled more.
The gift of grace. Undeserved favor. Really needed now, in the days of partisanship and COVID and racial injustice. So, a couple of thoughts. Ironically, grace requires an offense, and not particularly on the level of WW3. That can include voting for the other candidate, so let’s examine the facets of grace that all followers rely on, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Grace is the offer by God, not based on what we have done but on his character. Faith, our belief, allows us to receive that grace, a grace that sustains our relationship with God. Think about this after the election. Sure, those who voted for the other team, the bad one, don’t deserve us giving grace. But we don’t deserve it from God either. Remember, it’s undeserved favor.
God is a grace-giver. So MUST his people be, or we violate both God’s nature AND what brings us to him. Refusing to offer grace puts us in direct violation of what God is all about. Are you ready to do that?
I’m not. So, for whoever’s candidate wins, I won’t gloat or pout. Sure, I’ll grieve or rejoice inside, but I’ll offer grace. I won’t throw it in their face if they lose, nor respond in kind if they throw it in mine. Loving God is more important than any election. Relationships based on love are too. Trust God, he can work things out. He wants us to love him. To love one another. To be grace givers. Please join me as I strive to be one of those. It’s hard, but not really an option.
Kick Starting the Application
Up until the election, have you tried to express grace to those favoring the other guy? How can you give yourself some grace by moving beyond that? How can you express God’s nature by giving grace to fellow believers on the opposite political side? Will you?
PS If this essay impacts you, please share it. We all need to share more grace in these times.