Beyond Grace?

Thoughts on grace and who actually is beyond it.

When we think of grace, forgiveness, and mercy, we often think of people who we deem less deserving of these things. Usually Judas, Hitler, and other evil dictators that committed genocide come to mind. Or people that rape children or murder them. It is endless.

But,the question is, is there truly a point that anyone is beyond grace? Is anyone beyond grace? Truly?

Honestly…?

In our minds, it would  seem to be fair to say that, yes, there are those that are undeserving of grace, forgiveness, and mercy. We have to have that moral measuring stick for our own minds and to make sense of the horrible things that are done. It is often chalked up to them just being evil and nothing more. But what if that darkness, that evil came from somewhere else? What if someone opened that door in a person’s life through their actions?

You’re kidding, right?

Nope. I’m not. This is where I always use the word “interconnectedness.” Simply stated, we all are connected in one form or another to each other, to the world around us, and even to the universe. But, for our purposes now, let’s look at the connection that we share with each other.

In the novel by Wm. Paul Young, The Shack, the protagonist, Mac, has lost his youngest child to a cold blooded murderer. To help him heal, he meets the Trinity in the cabin where the horrendous crime took place. (It is also one of my favorite novels, just so you all know- I highly recommend it.) But there is always one scene that has stood out to me.

In one of the chapters, where Mac is confronting his anger and thirst for revenge against his daughter’s killer, Sophia (yes, this is Wisdom who is crying in the streets in the book of Proverbs) asks him where does it end, this need and thirst for blood and revenge? How far back does it go? The man who did this horrible thing to his daughter was abused by his father and so it went on down the line. Mac, in his rage, demanded death for them all- none were worthy to live.

Then, Sophia, asked him about his own children. She put one of his own children in the killer’s place of judgement. Mac was unable to judge and wept.

So.. Where does it end?

So, readers, where does it end? Where does the seeking of revenge and blood end when someone is hurt by another? When does it stop? When does damning another person in the name of righteousness stop?

People often damn someone like Hitler. But, the question is, what made him the way he was? Why did he have such a deep seated hatred? Where did his darkness come from?

Let’s go back to his childhood.

What if I told you that young Adolf was abused by his father? His father did it to keep Adolf from becoming like his older half brother from another marriage. His older half brother was in prison for stealing and Adolf’s father was deeply ashamed. So, he swore that he would keep his youngest son from becoming that way and he then would proceed to do to Adolf what we would consider abuse today.

Should his father be damned for what he did to Adolf? For the doors that he opened in Adolf’s life through the violence committed against a young boy?

Or how about Judas? Why did Judas do what he did? Did he have such a hatred for Christ?

Little is said about his motives in the Gospels, other than that he betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. But what if he felt that he was truly acting within the Law? What if he felt that his friend and mentor, Jesus, had lost his mind, or was leading people down the road to damnation? Is that truly hate? Should his teachers be condemned then for teaching him the Law in the synagogue? Should his parents be?

Grace and forgiveness.

This is not excusing the actions of either man or of anyone that has caused harm. This is looking within the heart and the soul, questioning what brought this about within the person.

How far back does our condemnation go? And why do we condemn so harshly?

Is it perhaps because we see a sliver or reflection of ourselves in these people?