I thought I knew what grace was, until I asked my co-hermit (also co-theologian and husband) how he would define the term. That innocent question lead to a lengthy and fascinating dinner-table conversation - so fascinating that I grabbed a napkin to start taking notes!
Here’s some of what we came up with:
Grace as God’s presence or power
Grace as a gift, freely given
Grace as a state of being or quality of one’s being
Grace as the breath (of spirit?) that calms chaos before creation is possible
Grace as the good, the right, the just
What does it mean to be in a “state of grace,” or the term “prevenient grace?”
Grace as a selfless, uncontrived attitude of acceptance, presence, forgiveness, gratitude, w/o expectations or demands
Clearly there’s a lot going on in the background when this word crops up, and I look forward to unpacking it a bit. This will likely take some time, which is fine. And while I ponder and draft and think with my fingers, I’d love to hear what your thoughts are, dear reader. What does ‘grace’ mean to you?
I’ve never tried ‘crowdsourcing’ for the blog before, so please lend a hand and let me know your thoughts in the comment area below.
Hmmm, initial thought: the phrase, "to have the grace to......" usually means to do something perhaps taxing (not using the words difficult or disagreeable) that benefits another person or persons, but maybe doesn't appear to benefit you in the immediate view. Of course, some of us feel that if you help someone you are helping everyone, including yourself. So, to make a long answer even longer, I'm going with your grace in the sense of gift. It's a gift to another person, but it well may be a gift to yourself, in some ways.
Thank you both - hermit and co-hermit - for your illuminating thoughts. Grace for me especially is when we are drawn effortlessly by God to God, without striving or struggle, and we thereby tangibly feel the living Presence of God in our being. - John Roger Barrie