The pop/rock group from Ireland, U-2, has a song on their album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” that is entitled, “Grace.” Some of the lyrics include: “Grace takes the blame. Covers the shame. Removes the stain. What once was hurt. What once was friction. What left a mark, no longer stings. Because grace makes beauty out of ugly things.”
One of the great historical doctrines of the Christian faith is grace. In fact, only Christianity dares to proclaim that God's love is unconditional. That is grace. It is the undeserved, unearned, incredible love of God.
The famous theologian Emil Brunner wrote, “Grace is God’s condescending to man, who is not worthy of it but stands in need of it.”
The words of Paul in the New Testament are powerful: “For by grace are you saved through faith. This is not from yourselves. This is the gift of God, not by works, so no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
I am so thankful for the grace of God that comes to us through Christ. I sure need it. It means forgiveness. It means mercy. It means another chance. It means beauty can come from ugly things.