DEEP GRACE
…FOR SHE LOVED MUCH
Luke 7:47
It arrived in perfect time. One of those days riddled with problems. Self-doubt knocking on the door of the heart, asking if the stress and sacrifices are worth the effort. You’ve had those days. Her unexpected e-mail reminded me of a dramatic encounter Jesus has with a woman in the Bible—story of what can happen when people receive an act of grace and allow that gift to heal and favorably reorient their lives. Her email had a similar tone.
Fourteen years of silence. And then…
“Urban promise had a profound impact on my life,” she began. “And for some time I’ve wanted to reconnect. While I regret not reaching out sooner, I refuse to let any more time pass without acknowledging the roots that helped shape me into the woman I am today.”
Letters like these are lavish offerings to those who invest in young people. This work is far more than a job. More than a resume builder. To be thanked or acknowledged isn’t the reason we stay committed, but it’s certainly a divided in the portfolio of service. Hearing from a former Urbom Promise student—who has evolved beyond adolescent self-orientation and taken the time to reflect more deeply on the sacrifice and contribution of mentors, teachers and counselors—is the kind of personal growth any developmental psychologist or pastor longs to witness. But her next line reached another level.
“I would love to explore a way to give back to Urban Promise,” continued the young woman. “Whether through volunteering or mentorship. But my real hope is to establish a scholarship for the valedictorian of the high school. GOD HAS BEEN INCREDIABLY KIND TO ME AND I REMAIN COMMITTED TO PAYING FORWARD THE INVESTMENT URBAN PROMISE MADE IN ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.”
I believe deep gratitude leads to deep generosity.
This also seems to be a pattern in scripture. When we meet an unnamed woman in Luke’s gospel (7:47) she is the ultimate outsider. A woman who has fallen from grace with the religious establishment. Her history is respite with failure. Yet Jesus affirms her dignity by welcoming her into his inner circle. Forgives her. Offers her a fresh start. And from this place of warm acceptance and gratitude she offers extravagant generosity to Jesus—tears, hospitality, expensive perfume and welcome. She ‘loves much “because she knows she’s received a gift of radical grace.
Frederick Buechner reminds me again, “The grace of God means something like this: Here is your life. You might have never been, but you are, because the party would never be complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. For you I created the universe. I love you.” It’s all grace!
I meet a lot of different people in my role. Truly a gift. Different walks of life. Rich. Poor. Blue collar. White collar. Different ethnicities. Different political stripes. Regardless of their social positions and backgrounds, I’ve noticed a pattern: those who acknowledge the many expression of grace they’ve received—grace that shows up in the form of a listening friend, a job connection, an unexpected break in business, a loving parental figure, a caring teacher, good health, a scholarship—tend to live out their lives with a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude which opens the heart to “loving much.”
Bruce Main
President & Founder
Urban Promise
Camden, New Jersey
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER
My heavenly slices of life directly correlate to the love, peace, joy and unity that continually manifest themselves through my relationship with Christ. God gives us views of heaven if we simply seek to live in harmony with those he lovingly places in our path. The size of your slices depends upon your faith-based field of vision.
Dear Jesus, help me foster harmony in all my relationships so that I truly experience “A Slice of Heaven on Earth.”
You’re Brother in Christ,
Fred Ailes