God has been reminding me lately of my constant need for grace. Seminary is tough-when stress gets high the sleep gets low and emotions can run amuck in the long class periods and awkward encounters that are all part of my weekly routine. The more I learn, the less I know and the more I know, the more I realize the world is not the way it is supposed to be. We sinners live in a fallen world, a world that is in desperate need of grace. Not only saving grace, but grace in the going. Grace to live according to that new relationship we have in God through Christ and grace to extend to others. That, really, is what is on the forefront of my mind. We family of sinners who struggle to live in a pilgrim world are constantly having to extend grace to one another as we disappoint and fail one another daily. I think, perhaps, we as a church often forget that we are all adopted under the same Father, making us all siblings and co-heirs of the promise. Should that not amaze us and make us look around and treat our fellow brothers and sisters differently? So often it doesn't make a lick of difference, even adding to the tension as we disagree on theological matters and call one another out on technicalities. We, of all people, have more reason to be knit together in unity than any other community in the world, yet we fail. As I struggle to extend the grace that God so freely grants to me, I pray that our community would be knit together, as a family-as a non-negotiable, even-though-we-argue-I-still-love-you unit of grace-extending, God-glorifying, witness to the great love and binding faithfulness of our Heavenly Abba. Grace in the going is tough-it's tough love, it's challenging, self-less, Spirit-relying love. But this is what we are called to and when brothers and sisters are united it is one of the most beautiful things you will ever encounter. We benefit but ultimately it is not for our sakes we do this but for the sake of our dear Savior Jesus Christ, who became a man to bear our sins away, satisfying God's justice forever. Friends, we are family in the going.
