We do not come with rocks

The scene was a gathering of church leaders and trainee leaders in another country. A trainee leader had publicly confessed to a significant sin. He rightly stepped back from church roles while related matters were addressed.

What would the senior leaders do? What could they do? The easy, and perhaps more natural, thing was to judge and condemn him.

Events twisted differently under the Christian gospel. The trainee leader did not need judgement or condemnation, for he was confessing his sin and clearly repentant. Someone read the text saying that if we confess sin believing in Jesus, we have a heavenly advocate who has paid our price (1 John 1:8 – 2:2). Someone said that ‘We do not come with rocks’, an allusion to some words of Jesus (John 8:1-7). Around the room, people spoke words of forgiveness and redemption and expressed the hope that he could one day resume his training program.

The gospel that was being taught the training program was being made visible as grace entered the room.

More grace. News emerged that fire had destroyed the home of another learner in the training. His home and possessions were ashes. A collection was taken and within 30 minutes a huge sum by local standards was presented to him. Again, gospel grace entered the room.

Someone remarked that the right and left hands of the gospel were on view. The gospel we had been talking about was enacted before our lives in the application of forgiveness, and in the extension of diaconal mercy.

In much of our world shame and honour, revenge and punishment dominate relationships. Selfishness abounds. Tribalism shapes a religious landscape of hatred. The Christian message of generous grace from God in Jesus Christ stands as a counter-narrative. As the stories above show, the narrative is flipped when people are captivated by grace.

This is the gospel of God. It is the beautiful good news that is offered to all people of faith in Jesus. We do not come with rocks, but open hands of grace.