Jesus calls us, his followers, to a new way of life – a way of grace. Grace is the utterly unmerited offer of mercy, goodness and hope given to one by another. Grace is so unexpected, so counter-cultural, that it’s something you must experience to believe. Many of us can recount unique moments of grace. A police officer issued a warning when we deserved a ticket. A teacher gave us another day to turn in an assignment. A friend gave us another chance after we hurt her. Each of us has our own story, but all of us have experienced grace in God’s gift of Jesus.
Martin Luther teaches that we are enabled to live out Christ’s calling: to give grace to others. Even to those the world might see as undeserving. Even to those the world might see as enemies.
As we practice loving those who can’t give back, we might find ourselves able to love even our deepest enemies. Grace has a way of expanding. The truth is, the resurrection of Jesus, the grace of God, is active in our own lives and makes a way even where there seems to be none.
This message is excerpted from “Even our enemies” by Katie Hines-Shah in the July/August 2019 Gather magazine.
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