Rambling for Kirwan Uniting Church Keeping in Touch newsletter 18 April 2021

A couple of at-first-glance unconnected episodes in The Life of Lance have served to validate (at least anecdotally) my long-held theology of Grace, undeserved divine favour.

Dog-carers among you will be familiar with the first. Leisa, our visiting niece and I went to Magnetic Island for the day on Friday last week. We promised Yannie as we left that we wouldn’t be very long. That was a well-meaning fib. Of course we were out all day, leaving her alone, and she’s not very well right now, an old dog who needs reassuring company. But when we came home, did she sulk and make us feel guilty for our day-long neglect? Not a bit of it, she cavorted all around the place, licking and loving any human in tongue-reach, saying with her body language, “Don’t worry about how I’ve been, I’m just happy to see you now, and I want to demonstrate unconditional, no mention of the past, love.”

The second is more difficult to wrap our doctrinal minds around, but I think is related to the first. Someone on social media posted that they had asked a 7 year old what was Jesus doing during the three days in Hell between his crucifixion and resurrection. The answer? “He was looking for his friend, Judas.”

Look, I don’t know about whom you’re despairing, yourself or someone dearly loved, but God’s grace in Christ trumps whatever you fear for yourself or, for that matter, the whole world.  Romans 5:

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

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