Grace Comes to the Wave — Katie Steedly

Enlightenment for a wave is the moment the wave realizes that it is water. At that moment, all fear of death disappears. — Thich Nhat Hanh

Lately, I have been thinking about grace.

I have been thinking about the connection between grace and forgiveness. I have been thinking about the connection between grace and justice. I have been thinking about the difference between grace and free will. I was taught along my path that we are born into grace — a grace that is freely given. That grace requires that we love one another above all else. Forgiveness is born of that kind of grace. Kindness is born of that kind of grace. Justice is born of that kind of grace. Free will is born of that kind of grace.

Grace in Action

Grace looks like hugging someone who deeply wronged you. Grace looks like sharing a meal with someone with whom you disagree. Grace looks like keeping your core values while listening to opposing views. Grace looks like the relentless pursuit of understanding. Grace looks like healthy boundaries. Grace is not a quid pro quo proposition. Grace is not civility at the expense of integrity and truth. Grace is not a “one and off” experience in which we give it, magic happens, and we move on. Grace is not simply forgiveness without any consideration for right or wrong.

Grace When It’s Hard.

I want to suggest that there is a hard grace and an easy grace. At the heart of all grace is the idea of interconnection. We are all interconnected. We are all on physical and spiritual journeys that allow us to experience grief and wonder and pain and joy. Easy grace asks that we be aware and awake to the beauty in the world. Easy grace asks us to be thankful and humble in the presence of all that is. Easy grace asks us to be generous. Hard grace is something else. Hard grace asks that we forgive 7×70 and does not separate forgiveness from justice. Hard grace asks that we cultivate self-awareness and examine our role in difficult situations. Hard grace builds relationships in difficult circumstances. All grace, both easy and hard, grow from our connections to one another. We are all the sea and the wave. We are all the petals of the flower which bloom in unison. We are the sun and moon which rise and set. We are the seasons which change. Grace comes to the wave.

Originally published at http://www.katiesteedly.com on July 28, 2019.