Grace

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about the idea of grace, and offering it to someone else. I made the comment that it seems that grace is often cheapened by naiveté, but deepened in meaning for the receiver when the receiver knows that you understand the gravity of the thing (or whatever) for which they need grace. God does this ultimately for us because, ultimately of course, HE is the only one that can fully grasp the gravity of the grace we need and offer it in whole omniscience. And when we do the same--offer grace--in the face of the sin and ugly we see even in our finite understanding of any given situation, it's echoing dimly this characteristic of God:

When grace so much less naive,

When grace so aware indeed,

When given free in knowledge

When granted much more in heed:

When offered in some enlightenment

Of all that did precede—

So much more the potent it,

That’s offered wholly free’d.

Of all that’s usual shrouded it,

And contrived that should it mean;

Such that man would tout it as,

Such as he would have it be--

Something to be quite merited

To be sought for brave indeed.

To this grace will not subdue herself

And become so cheap a thing.

To be earned, secured or gained or paid, 

(Anything other than given unbade)

This grace will never weather

And herself remain the same.

- T. Emerson