I was blessed to have a good and fulfilling conversation with a friend this week about faith, where God is working in our lives, and other related topics. In our discussion, I admitted that my immediate thought in response to seeing, reading, or hearing something troubling, especially when it involves obvious injustice, can too often be negative and not of God. And in that initial moment of negativity, a corresponding action might even come to mind. I gave a specific example, and she calmly noted, “You would never do that because that’s not who you are.” She’s right of course.
We know who we are. As children of God, as sisters and brothers in Christ, and as pilgrims of hope doing our best to live the Gospel, our call is to respond with grace and to move forward in love. It’s not always easy. Whether it is regarding someone close to us or someone more distant, we are moved by the hardship and struggle we witness. It’s very natural and human to want to be protective, to be a voice for others, and to ‘right’ the wrongs we see. And it can feel so very frustrating when we can’t seem to do enough to make a large difference or bring about the significant change we seek. But perhaps it is enough. In our humanity, we are also accompanied by Christ. When we respond in thought and deed out of who we are in a life with Him (and not out of the anger and frustration that can work in us if we let them), we contribute to the goodness of God. We won’t get it right every time, but when we do our best to truly live our core beliefs in faith and allow ourselves to be guided by the Lord’s love, compassion, and mercy, we contribute to the goodness of God, and contributing to the goodness of God makes a loving and lasting difference.
We may not always be aware of how, where, or when our thoughts of grace and deeds of love will make even the smallest impact, but we do them because that’s who we are…who we are in Christ, who we are for Christ, and who we are guided by Christ. Let us pray for continued strength so we respond first with grace and, renewed in hope, move forward in faith and love.
Journeying to Grace 