ENOUGH GRIT AND GRACE

A cold shower after a real fun dinner and movie, Mama Mia with friends, I sit in front of my computer waiting for the late night news to come up!
My friends and I spent a couple of hundred pesos for dinner and our movie tickets. As professional single young adults, the rising cost of everything doesn't seem to affect the way we spend. Perhaps, the feeling of invincibility of youth still linger- we spend because we can afford, and nothing, no one can stop us!

Tomorrow, public transportation fare goes up: a peso or so for jeepneys, cabs will raise their flag down fare by 10pesos, buses will raise the minimum fare by a couple of pesos. Gas price has gone up almost a 100% in the last three months or so! This afternoon, the students from several universities all over Metro Manila staged a walk out, and marched to the streets in protest of the government's inability to halt the rise of cost of basic goods and necessities. This crisis is global. Whether one lives in the US, Argentina, France or the Philippines, the rising cost of living is felt in astounding ways. It may be not be as strongly felt in Sweden as it is in Thailand, there is no escaping. Is there hope for my country? Is there hope for humanity.

But there is hope. Humanity has thrived over millenia despite all the storms of life, God designed humanity to be resilient. I call that grit - that innate indomitable spirit each human being possesses. But grit is not enough, because grit without grace is can only bring humanity up to a certain point of resilience.


A mini-crisis takes place in the Gospel. I was just reading about it today. Jesus sleeps in a boat while his disciples face a dangerous and difficult storm in the middle of the sea. Even though Jesus was smack dab in the middle of that boat, with his disciples, they were not spared the storm. The clouds and wind didn't say, "Oh, there's Jesus, we better go around. And there are his disciples, faithfully serving him. We'd better side skirt them, too." In fact, the clouds and wind hit so hard that professional fisherman thought they were going to die. And when that happens you know it's got to be a bad storm. [1]

John Wesley was making a transatlantic voyage when his ship encountered a fierce storm. He and others clung to their bunks and hid their heads. Also on that ship was a group of Moravian Brethren Christians. At the appointed time, just as they did every day, they calmly gathered to hold their daily worship service and sing praises to God, in the middle of the storm. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, was impressed. From that moment on he prayed that God would give him the ability to likewise ride out life's storms with the same confidence he saw demonstrated that day. Because grace makes grit more meaningful and a lot stronger.


The disciples, in the midst of their desperation, finally looked in the right direction. My guess is that at first they were looking at each other. They were probably saying, "C'mon John grab that sail harder." "Andrew, steer, row." Some of you may be going to all the wrong places and people for answers. Look to God! He's the only one who can help at this time. The problem for many people is they have never hit a big enough storm. They have never come to the end of their limits or themselves. Have you found yourself praying more in the last five days? Why? Because we realize how dependent we are on God. And we are desperately aware of our limits. That's what storms are. They bring us up short of our limits. [2]


The disciples needed to understand their main problem was internal, not external. Our greatest problems are always those within us, not those around us. Jesus did calm the storm. He did take care of their fears. He did stand up and look at the wind and waves and said, "Quiet, be still." But he didn't take care just of their fear, and just of their felt needs, he went deeper to look at their unfelt needs and he said, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"[3]

Horatio Spafford was waiting on his wife and children to cross the Atlantic. And midway across, a storm capsized their ship and his family was lost. On his return voyage, he asked the captain to stop somewhere in the area where he believed his family's ship capsized. And as Spafford looked over the side of his ship he penned these words, "It is well with my soul. When peace like a river attendth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say. It is well, it is well with my soul." [4]


That's grit and grace.



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1 "God, Don't You Care," Rev. George Antonakos, September 16, 2001
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 Christian Worship Hymnal, 1955 Judson Press