Grace Unpacked

By Sahayaraj Stanley, SJ

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. After some time, C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

We live in a world inundated with grace. Grace, the mysterious and manifold gift of God, comes in many forms and shades. For me, one such enduring source of grace is books. Of late, a unique book arrested my attention and made me realize once again that I live in the domain of grace. What Is So Amazing about Grace? is the name of the book, and Philip Yancey is the author. For me, this is an explosive book, weaved by a dexterous craftsman who simplifies theology.

This book is divided into four elaborate parts. The first part deals with grace that fills the earth as water fills a jar. The second part reminds us that we have to break the merciless cycle of ungrace! The third part magnifies the scandal of grace and reminds us that we have to see the world with grace-healed eyes! The fourth and the last chapter makes the readers realize the need for filling the world with grace-filled actions in the days to come.

As soon as you open the book, you see the extraordinary story of a Chicago prostitute whose experience with ‘grace’ comes unannounced. Many people fail to recognize the indwelling and overpowering presence of grace. Philip Yancey contrasts “the age of Law” and “the age of Grace.” In his opinion, legalism has taken away the finer nuances of grace that are to be tasted and cherished as the unmatched gift of the Lord. One has to taste and see the goodness of grace!

Love, through grace, conquers the world, and ungrace becomes a toxin that spreads venom and rancour in the lives of the people.

Grace and ungrace: Philip Yancey gives a telling example of the uniqueness of grace. Love, through grace, conquers the world, and ungrace becomes a toxin that spreads venom and rancour in the lives of the people. Philip Yancey uses the word ‘Ungrace’ to denote the state of gracelessness and the lack and absence of grace. Yancey points out that, like a spiritual flaw encoded in the family DNA, at times, the defect of ‘ungrace’ gets passed on in an unbroken chain. This ungrace does its work quietly and lethally, like a poisonous, undetectable gas. When this ungrace gets solidified, individuals and, at times, communities get poisoned and develop prejudiced opinions.

 This ‘ungraced’ poison spans centuries and traditions! The best remedy to heal this disgrace and come out of this pitiable situation is the miracle medicine of ‘love.’ When one is suffering from ‘ungrace’, a dose of ‘gratitude’ clothed in ‘loving grace’ can serve as the right antidote.

Quoting from a plethora of authors, Philip Yancey points out how we are loved by a God who is ‘extravagantly’ gracious and ‘unconditionally’ forgiving. The psalmist sings, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” The catch here is that as God loves us with grace and compassion, we too are expected to reciprocate. In the pages of the Bible, one reads stories of reconciliation and forgiveness from different perspectives acted out by different protagonists. I agree fully with Yancey, when he says the Bible is a luminous chronicle of the book of Grace and Compassion!

Grace & forgiveness: Tango is a celebrated, fast, South American dance with a strong rhythm in which two people hold each other closely. It is said that it takes two to tango! In theology, to tango, grace normally is coupled with forgiveness. But it is not easy. Philip Yancey writes that behind every act of forgiveness lies a wound of betrayal, and the pain of being betrayed does not easily fade away. From the life of Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sonya, Yancey brings out graphically how, for half a century, jealousy and unforgiveness had blinded Sonya, who refused to forgive Tolstoy and, in the process, destroyed all the love for her husband.

The gospel of grace begins and ends with forgiveness. And people write songs with titles like “Amazing Grace” for just one reason: “Grace” is the only force in the universe powerful enough to break the chains that enslave generations. Grace alone melts ungrace!

Yancey quotes C.S. Lewis, who in turn talks of Saint Augustine, who quipped that “God gives where He finds empty hands.” A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift.” Grace, in other words, must be received. Lewis explains that what Yancey has termed “grace abuse” stems from a confusion of condoning and forgiving: “To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good. But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete, and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.” So, in other words, forgiveness goes along with accepting the mistake and the willingness to redress the mistake.

We live in a world that is slowly becoming deaf to the mild, melodious notes of grace. Grace, perhaps, can be compared to the still, small, and subtle sound that Elijah heard when he was on the edge of the rock, encircled by the divine presence.

‘Everything is grace,’ says St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As I grow older, I begin to relish the wisdom and magnitude of this powerful statement.

Gravity & grace: In the closing section, Yancey mentions Simone Weil, the French mystic, who concluded that two great forces rule the universe: gravity and grace. Gravity causes one body to attract other bodies so that it continually enlarges by absorbing more and more of the universe into itself. A similar force operates in human beings. We too want to expand, to acquire, to swell in significance. The desire to “be as gods”, after all, led Adam and Eve to rebel. Emotionally, Weil concludes, “All the natural movements of the soul are controlled by laws analogous to those of physical gravity. Grace is the only exception.” Most of us remain trapped in the gravitational field of self-love, and thus grace gleefully escapes through the cracks.

Philip Yancey asks and answers a very pertinent question: How does a grace-filled Christian look? He answers that a graceful Christian is one who looks at the world through “grace-tinted lenses.”

The style of Yancey is not didactic but deeply personal, spiritual, and human. He infuses historical data and personal experiences by fascinating anecdotes to elucidate and throw light on a particular point. Yancey presents complicated theological insights as palatable fast-food takeaways!

Todo es Gracia – ‘Everything is grace,’ says St. Thérèse of Lisieux. As I grow older, I begin to relish the wisdom and magnitude of this powerful statement. We stand before God as recipients of innumerable gifts. Ultimately, grace is a precious yet free gift, and one needs to believe “Grace Happens!”

As we live in a world that looks hopeless, the Easter season should remind us of the delightful promise of ‘hope.’ Philip Yancey’s book helps us see it as a grace-filled world. Though Philip Yancey is an Evangelical Christian, he quotes Catholic authors at random. He is so appealing, because his insights are blended with suffering, chaos, confusion, and human pathos. His book is a much-needed consolation to heal the wounds of ungrace.

After reading this book, you may like to dip into Philip Yancey’s other masterpiece, Vanishing Grace, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s reflections on ‘Costly Grace’ and ‘Cheap Grace,’ as well as Scott Peck’s Road Less Travelled, where the last section deals with ‘grace.’ Deo Gratias!

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