Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Amazing Grace – John Newton
March 10, 1748. Off the Coast of County Donegal, Ireland. 6:00PM.
John Newton looks on in horror as one of his shipmates is swept off the slave ship Greyhound in a violent storm. Moments before, Newton was standing in that same spot. After lashing himself to a pump, Newton attempts to steer the ship. He would stay in this position for the next 11 hours.
Newton has a reputation as a hell-raiser. He is so profane, that his ship’s Captain later comments how he would use every expletive ever spoken and even some he’d never heard before. He wasn’t always like this. In fact, Newton was raised in a religious family, but later renounced his faith. He chose a life at sea, first with his father, then later as a sailor in the Royal Navy. Eventually he deserted the Navy and began working on the slave ship Greyhound. On this stormy evening, Newton is wrestling with the helm, as well as his faith.
Faced with certain death, he begins to question if he’s worthy of God’s mercy or in any way redeemable. Not only had he neglected his faith but directly opposed it, mocking others who showed theirs, deriding and denouncing God as a myth. He believes God is sending him a profound message and had begun to work through him. The Greyhound survives the storm and Newton begins a profound life change. He works the slave trade a while longer, but then renounces it, goes to seminary, and becomes an abolitionist. His famous song, Amazing Grace, is inspired by his conversion.
Justice means people get what they deserve after a fair trial. We could say that the USA got justice after Navy SEALs dispatched Osama bin Laden is 2011. Investors got justice when Bernie Madoff spent what was left of his years in prison. Justice, when done fairly, is a good thing.
Mercy is something asked for if a person is facing punishment. We hope that someone with the power to save us will remove whatever consequences we face. Mercy, in certain situations, is a good thing.
Grace, on the other hand, takes place after mercy. While mercy eliminates the consequences of our action, grace not only does this, but gives us something positive that we don’t deserve. We might deserve punishment, but we certainly don’t deserve grace. It’s a gift. And it’s a good thing.
Right now, we are in the most divisive period I can recall. People are going to war over social media on every possible topic. It’s even touched my BBQ world. I saw a post on a forum the other day saying that cooks who use a pellet smoker can’t be called a true Pitmaster. Road rage proliferates. People get into brawls on planes and in the drive-through of fast-food joints. Everyone wants justice for themselves. Nobody seems to have mercy for anyone. Let alone grace.
But what if we could change that? When someone cuts in front of you in line, mercy says we don’t thump their skull. Grace however says we let them in and even do something kind for them. When someone insults you on social media, mercy says we simply ignore the comment. Grace suggests we use a kind response.
I think mercy is a good place to start this week. Keep in mind that most people don’t wake up in the morning thinking of ways to torment you. Mercy reflects this assertion. But grace implores us to do something kind for others. ESPECIALLY if they don’t deserve it.
Maybe just a little mercy and grace can improve things. A lot is even better. I’ll struggle with this for sure but am willing to try. Will you join me?