Sharing grace with each other

By Rev. Andy Fleming, Associate Chaplain

Following the New Year festivities, the first day of school gives us another chance to think about a new beginning. Whenever we experience a ‘new beginning’, there are questions we ask ourselves as we anticipate the future and reflect on the past. Regardless of the opportunities and challenges that new beginnings present, there is always an opportunity to share grace.

The call to extend grace is especially timely at the start of the year, following a holiday season marked by a global atmosphere of fear, power struggles and vengeance. This coincides with the ongoing tragedies of war and natural disasters, which continue to overwhelm the vulnerable and displaced.

The new school year also coincides with the church season of Epiphany, which celebrates the manifestation of Jesus as the ‘light of the world’. It is a season that celebrates God’s offering of an abundance of grace – both in our private lives and in our community.

We might wonder what it means to gather in a community that shares grace or to be filled with the manifestation of God’s gift of grace. The famous story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding offers insight into what abundant grace looks like.

Running out of wine at this wedding in the village of Cana isn’t simply a social faux pas, it’s a disaster! For those in the story, the wine isn’t just an accompaniment to the celebration, it’s a sign of harvest and abundance, and therefore a sign of God’s abundance of joy, gladness and hospitality. And so, when they run short on wine, they run short on blessing. And that’s a tragedy.

As the book of John begins to reveal the mystery of Christ, it offers a story of God’s abundant grace. In this gospel story, grace is like an overflowing of joy, blessing and God's presence. The message of abundant grace isn’t about making up for something we simply lack, it's about receiving and offering more than we ever imagined or deserve.

As we imagine receiving a generous serving of God’s abundant grace, we might also imagine our most hopeful vision for gathering as a community to enrich the lives of those caught in fear, power and revenge. So, what is our most hopeful vision for the living God’s abundant grace for the sake of the common good? Think how, as a loving, grace-filled community, we might support those impacted by the antisemitic attitudes and actions that have arisen in our society.

As we start this new school year, can we envisage our community with the abundance of God’s grace offered in love, generosity, hospitality and neighbourliness, bringing about good community, hope, kindness and compassion?

May you experience God’s abundant grace,

Rev. Andy