United Methodists are a people who believe in grace.
Grace is demonstrated most visibly during Easter, when we experience the graciousness in which Jesus became our Christ. Grace is a gift; unmerited, sometimes unrecognized, but always a part of life.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that grace came to us in three ways: before we even knew we needed it (prevenient grace); when we are all muddled and beside ourselves and trying to be faithful but fail miserably (justifying grace); and when we are growing in love with God and our neighbor living as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ (sanctification or "moving onto perfection").
God's grace is with us before we know we need it, when we forget we need it, and in those times when we know we are most ready for it; grace all the time!
So, I read with interest the February 2010 issue of "The Costco Connection;" the debate on "Is Civility Dead?"
There were people, of course, who stood on both sides. The March 2010 issue gave the results: 71 percent said yes, and 29 percent said no.
I began to ponder my own nonscientific study on civility, focusing in terms of "justifying grace."
I created a question: "Where is God in the hearts and minds of the people of Merced?"
I decided to run my study for a week.
I took up walking again recently and I so I started my study on my day off.
I watched diligently.
The biggest observation I made was that people are distracted while they drive and while they talk/text on their cell phones -- these two things often happening simultaneously.
I waited at a crosswalk, clearly a pedestrian with right-of-way, and counted no less than seven cars -- five on cell phones -- whizzing by without a thought to their surroundings.
If I had only considered drivers and cell phone users, I would have had to concur with the results of "The Costco Connection," and that God is exceedingly gracious to us in spite of ourselves.
But as I continued my walk, I saw someone else walking with a plastic grocery bag, picking up trash along the way; someone else walking their dog and picking up after themselves; and a car with a driver not on a cell phone stopping to let someone else cross the road.
It was at that moment, with the sun shining, the trees beginning to bud and the spring bulbs signaling another season that I realized, while we may continue to struggle with civility, God's grace is evident.
After an hour's walk, I gave up my study, turned "being in charge" back over to God who seems to do it so much better than I, and made myself a mug of undeserved but gracious tasting coffee.
I concluded that civility isn't dead; we in Merced just struggle with life, and could pay better attention.
That's the lesson of grace I learned -- that and remembering to take a garbage bag with me as I walk to help clean up the neighborhood.
Religion 101 runs every Saturday written by a different pastor each week. Jay K. Pierce is pastor at United Methodist Church of Merced. You can reach him at (209) 722-5777.
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