The Face of Grace

Grace... one of those words people use and don't even know the definition of, lol. When people say "graceful", they can't give you an exact definition; they just know it's a good thing. When people sit down to eat, they always ask somebody to "say grace"; another vague usage.

Then you got my fellow Christians, who get creative and try to fit our belief into the word with an acrostic: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. It's true, but I don't think it really captures grace sufficiently. Believe it or not, there's a simpler way to put it. My pastor said it best:

"Mercy is when you spare someone what they deserve; grace is when you give someone what they don't deserve."

Get it? Grace is the extra in ordinary. Grace is when you put a little bit more umph into whatever you do. Grace is like Michael Jordan; he doesn't just dunk on you, but he has to stick his tongue out as he does it. Grace is a signature; there's no need for the curls and loops, but it's that little extra that sets the signature apart. Grace is that part on Luther Vandross's "A House is Not a Home" when the music stops, but he pauses before he adds the final words to close the song out.

Grace is a very soulful thing actually. See, there's completing a task, and then there's completing a task with your trademark on it. Putting a little piece of yourself into what you do beyond what's required. Unfortunately, grace is often frowned upon in our society. Like when you're happy and you feel like dancing down the street, but you choose not to because of what people might say. Or how some places won't hire you if you wear certain hairstyles; it's not professional to have personality.

But I think grace is to be embraced. After all, the Bible says we're made in God's image and He's a gracious God. So the grace that resides in us is a trace of His essence, isn't it? Maybe. Maybe that's why there are artists in the world huh? Maybe everything isn't meant to be so practical, methodical, mathematic. Logic has it's place, but grace is one of those things that defies logic. After all, where in the NBA rulebook does it say tongues are in any way relevant to the game? And yet, we love those pictures with him making that graceful face, lol.

B-J