Author: Holly Reimer
Ephesians 3:1-12
Reflection: v. 2, ‘distribute God’s grace’
As I write this, the election is upon us, and I wonder what it would be like for us to cast our personal votes as if our decisions didn’t just affect us—because they don’t. I wonder what it might look like if we all voted in ways that acknowledge there are other, more vulnerable people in the world. During a recent walk, I found myself at a small neighborhood lake where I squatted on a rock at the water’s edge. It wasn’t long before a stranger called out to me, asking if I was okay. To me, this is part of what Paul meant as he was describing the distribution of God’s grace. It is offering the grace and love we have received, individually from God. We can redistribute that grace to complete strangers. The distribution of grace could be to those who might have different cultural histories, sexual orientation, ethnicities, and even those who may not yet recognize the God of grace. It is knowing all of these things and still choosing to say, ‘It’s not just about me’—or stopping to check in on a complete stranger. Offering God’s grace is easy, but we complicate it. We certainly aren’t forced into these decisions. But why would we not want to respond to God’s lived grace with our own LIVED grace. Grace is not something we say; it’s something we do. And it is offered freely to everyone.
Prayer God, may we distribute your grace to all those we encounter. Challenge our own biases and privileges that keep us from doing so. Amen.