Karma and Grace

At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics -- in physical laws -- every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the Universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so will you sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. --Bono from "BONO in conversation with Michka Assayas"

I don't think it's any surprise that one of the most popular hymns on the planet is "Amazing Grace." It has been sung at nearly every funeral I've presided over. Why? Because grace, as Bono says, "defies reason and logic." It goes against our human nature whose gut instinct is to attack those who have attacked us. We're really good at the "eye for an eye" stuff, but grace is another matter altogether. It is countercultural and revolutionary at its core.

Many of Jesus' parables dealt with the subject of grace. In the Prodigal Son story a young wayward son is surprised by the generous embrace of his father [Luke 15:11-32]. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus' audience is surprised that a Samaritan, whom they thought had no redeeming value, was the agent of God's healing and compassion [10:29:37]. In the parable of the Vineyard Workers, the owner of the vineyard is so gracious in rewarding some of his employees that it leaves others complaining bitterly and scratching their heads [Mt 20:1-16].

Grace is powerful stuff. In a world where there are too many divisions between Christians and Muslims, conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, gays and straights, grace is the only hope we have of holding the human race together. It's easy to retaliate. It's easy to beat each other up with words and with guns. However, it's much harder to show grace toward those we think have wronged us. It is the only hope we truly have for healing and reconciliation in our world.

What will we do today to be more gracious to those whom God has placed in our path and in our world? It's a question worth pondering.