Today's wise words come from the wise woman Julia Baird. Julia is an Australian journalist, broadcaster and author. In her book ‘Bright Shining’ she writes these words about the concept of Grace.
“Grace is both mysterious and hard to define. It can be found when we create ways to find meaning and dignity in connection with each other, building on our shared humanity, being kinder, bigger, and better with each other. If in its crudest interpretation, karma is getting what you deserve, then grace is the opposite: forgiving the unforgivable, favouring the undeserving, loving the unlovable.
But we live in an era when grace is an increasingly rare currency. The silos in which we consume information dot the media landscape like skyscrapers, and our growing distrust has choked our ability to cut each other slack, to allow each other to stumble, and to forgive one another.
So what does grace look like in our world, and how do we recognise it, nurture it in ourselves and express it, even in the darkest of times?”
One thing that I take away from this is the way she incisively contrasts Grace and karma. Here I believe the motive behind our ‘doing good’ is what sets these opposites apart. Karma is to do good with the hope, consciously or otherwise, that good will come around and find us in return. That you will somehow be repaid for your actions. On the other hand, Grace is to love and to forgive without any prospective or hope of being compensated. It is a refreshing alternative in a society that looks inward to the self. Grace challenges us to always look to the other, even when and especially when it repels and repulses us. The choice between karma and Grace has always been ours.