The heresy of merit

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Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved we wretched souls

Grace

Gratis, Kharis,

Gratitude

 

In theological language grace is unmerited blessing

One who doesn’t need to give

Giving to those who, perhaps, don’t deserve to receive

 

This is the odd upside-down way God works

When GodWithUs arrived

A poor person not a king

In a stable not a palace

 

It was already clear that our normal ways

of thinking and evaluating were

so much nonsense

 

Think of those Magi maybe Kings

flat on the ground giving gifts of great value

to one, to all appearances

had little value

and nothing obvious to give in return

 

Already in that moment

we begin to see how it works

 

The one to whom we should pay homage

humbly offers us a gift

grace

and we?

 

we have little to offer back

just our gratitude, our love

and that is enough

 

how deviant

 

I cannot help but smile as I picture

God, Rumi style

dancing

indiscriminately tossing gifts around

love, joy, hope peace, pleasure

gifts scatter like seeds sown

by a careless sower

 

we are gifted

not because of merit

but because of love

and since we did not earn and cannot give back the gift

all that we can do

is be thankful

 

But now here we are

in a culture that obsesses over merit

in a church that demands merit

 

if you don’t have merit, no gifts for you

in fact you might lose what you already have

 

of course merit is subjective

there is the merit of compassion (not highly values)

the merit of efficiency (highly valued)

there is the merit of domination, of winning and controlling

and the merit of service, a giving of oneself for others

 

our worship of merit

turns generosity and compassion into a sin

calls for mercy into heresy

 

when we worship merit

and abandon grace

we become hard, without compassion

and cruel

 

people become objects

to be used, abused, abandoned, eradicated

 

and then we can, without remorse

kill programs that help the poor and the vulnerable

threaten, manipulate, suspend and fire

good people

 

we can deport and incarcerate

and develop concentration camps

where hope slowly dies

 

we can brag and blame

 

are we ungrateful servants

who blessed will not bless

who offered grace refuse to pass it on?

 

what happens then to grace?

grace remains

but gratitude dies

as do justice and joy

 

and we become fearful hoarders. malign manipulators

plodding our way through life

hungry

ever unsatisfied

and without love and joy

 

that is no way to live