Grace – the Heart of Christmas

I find the quality of grace in people very attractive. It’s wonderful to be a beneficiary of another’s grace, when we know we’ve erred in our judgement and fear the consequences. These gracious people choose to waive their right to take advantage of the situation and carry on as if nothing had happened. We breathe again.
Recently, in a large meeting where a vote was being taken, one brave soul voiced his opposition. A short, derogatory observation was made and I held my breath, hoping the meeting would not ridicule him. Despite holding a contrary view, the Chairperson immediately moved to defend him and quash any backlash. It was a gracious use of power.
My Christian understanding is that grace was first initiated by God towards us, when appearing in human form as Jesus, to live and love amongst us and lay the foundation for our forgiveness and peace with God. Whereas this is grace in its extreme form, it resonates with the same basic qualities as the human examples around us. The opportunity to inflict pain on another is waived – graciously. A second wave of grace occurs in the giving of an undeserved gift, sometimes of understanding, or maybe of help to build the others’ future.
So especially at Christmas, let us look to give, rather than to receive. One way we can be gracious to those with greater needs is by utilising a charity Christmas gift catalogue. Here is a good one: http://everythingincommon.com.au/
Wishing you a joyful, grace-filled Christmas season and a little bit of heaven on Earth.