Funny Thing About Grace

In my daily travels around the blogosphere I read somewhere in the neighbourhood of 150 posts.  I don't go in alphabetical order, nor do I browse in chronological order.

I have a grading system.

There are A-level bloggers that I make sure to read first.  (Just in case I don't have time to read them all)

Pete Wilson is one of my handful of A-level writers.  He's usually got something good to say, isn't overly wordy, and his writing often challenges me.

Today he wrote about "Grace Killers." 

He was tipped off to a religious group that was planning on picketing outside his church, and he was ready.  Ready to let them know they are judgemental, insensitive, self-righteous, prideful pricks jerks people.  I was totally with him.  But then he remembered something he had heard another pastor say...

"We must be gracious to the grace killers"

Oh crap.

Grace for sinners? No problem

Grace for screw-ups? That's pretty easy

Grace for new believers still trying to figure it out? Yup

Grace for someone who has never had a relationship with Christ? Yessir

Grace for the judgemental, dogmatic, intolerant person?...

(AJ?  You there?)

Ummmmmmm...




Guilty as charged.

I have grace by the truck load for people who have never encountered Jesus.  I have a ton of grace for someone who has made a mistake.  (Haven't we all?)  I have free refills of grace for someone who has been dealt a bad hand, or someone who had their trust violated by someone who was supposed to be safe.

But I tend to lack grace for people who claim to be Christians and protest at rock concerts, or throw rotten food at people during Pride week, or stand on soapboxes on street corners with bullhorns.  (I've actually never seen someone like that)

But you know what makes it worse?

My lack of grace for the judgemental, "holier than thou pharisee" makes me one of them.  In some sort of sick and twisted way, I AM the judgemental, "holier than thou pharisee" I rail so hard against.

Thankfully God has enough grace for the sinner, the pervert, the drunk, and the pharisee (me).