At church last week, we sang “O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown” for our sacrament hymn. While we were singing it, the second verse left a vivid impression on my mind:
No creature is so lowly,
No sinner so depraved,
But feels thy presence holy
And thru thy love is saved.
Tho craven friends betray thee,
They feel thy love’s embrace;
The very foes who slay thee
Have access to thy grace
This verse reminded me of Luke 23:34, when Jesus, hanging on the cross, said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And those two things—the second verse of the hymn and this verse from the Gospels—prompted me to ponder this idea of universal grace.
I was left wondering how if anyone can access Jesus’s grace, even his enemies—those particularly who violently persecuted him—and I am someone who wants to be like Jesus, then perhaps showing grace is something I can do better at.
Perhaps I can show grace for those who are unkind toward me. Perhaps I can be more empathetic and compassionate toward those who try to harm me. Perhaps I can love my enemies, do good to them who hate me, bless them who curse me, and pray for them who despitefully use me.
Which can be tough to do, given that our first instinct is often to lash out, to take offense, to feel hurt, or to seek revenge. And then our heart becomes hardened and our mind preoccupied with harm toward others. The kindness shown to us propagates the unkindness we now show to others.
Grace, I think, can offer us freedom—freedom from anger and retribution. And in the process of extending grace to others, including those who harm us, we can find ourselves on the path to developing the love of Christ.
