tongues fingers and noses

un 
conditional
grace

i was taught
grace 
without
condition 
was the foundation 
of faith

i first learned 
snip-its of this 
reformed
understanding 
as early as second grade

we met in the little room 
upstairs in the sanctuary 
just behind the balcony 
overlooking the little 
gothic sanctuary 
nestled in the tall pines 
of an east texas neighborhood

grace 
we learned 
was our unique outlook
making us different from 
the other christians
who passed out their tracts
demanding faith was 
a choice 
based on our 
ability to live by 
certain standards
standards that were visibly 
measured 

so if your choice was not 
good enough or strong enough
it would be easily noted

they turned their noses up at us
pointed their fingers at us
wagged their tongues against us
saying our 
affirmation of grace
without condition 
was weak and wrong

and yet 
the people i grew up with 
the people who taught me faith
the people who raised me
were anything 
but weak 
and 
time has proven 
they were not wrong

grace
is not a tangible commodity 
we hold over each other 
as if GOD had the willingness 
to love one over and above the other

grace 
is not a mark of prestige 
as if we could earn it
or put it on a shelf as if we had won it 
because of our ability or talent

grace 
is grace
and belongs to GOD
and is given as a gift 
by GOD 
to whomever
GOD so desires

seems many don't 
like this concept 
anymore

seems there is an obsession 
to focus on each others
garden of gethsemane stories

there is a lot of wagging tongues 
and pointing fingers 
and turned up noses

if we are to budge from this stalemate
that occurs in the church 
and in our culture

then we must step out of
gethsemane and the pain 
we cause each other
and turn our lives 
toward easter

grace leads us to easter
and easter will 
come despite
our tongues, fingers or noses