the scarlet grace...

todays blog inspired by my dear friend amy.
who mused through the impulsive media of instant message...
that churches are easy enough to find,
but grace, lovely grace, is so much more elusive...

we can't help but look for her,
indeed, every religion, every human heart secretly longs for her,
but she often eludes our grasp.
indeed she ALWAYS eludes our grasp.
for she was meant to be experienced, not experimented on.
appreciated for her beauty, not bottled up and dispensed by man.
she may take hold of us,
but how could we ever hope to keep her to ourselves?
(better yet why would we even try?)

grace reminded amy of the cry from Scarlet Pimpernel...
may i paraphrase?

we seek her here.
we seek her there.
we churchies seek her everywhere.
is she in heaven?
is she gone without a trace?
that damsel, elusive grace!

i propose a new secret society.

the league of "scarlet grace"...

our captain wears many disguises,
usually appearing as someone in need.
(in need of a demonstration of grace from me. or you.)

wherever the religious have sentenced another
to the guillotine of legalism,
wherever the institution has failed
to free the seeker from sin,
we shall appear and administer grace freely,
binding up the broken,
encouraging the cast out,
embracing the bitter and the skeptical and the abused,

because that is what our captain did. and does.
and will do. through us.

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further thoughts:
as i wrote this another thread uncoiled in my head:
rahab's scarlet cord was not for her to grasp hold of
to make good her escape.
it was purely a marker of grace - saving, rescuing grace...
(joshua 2:17-21)
like the pimpernel's little red flower.
a calling card that he had rescued another.

that scarlet cord winds its way through all of scripture.
from the blood of abel that cried out (gen.4:8-16 / heb.12:23-24)
to the top of moriah where isaac is loosed and a ram is bound (gen.22)
to the doorpost of the hebrew slave whose house is passed over (ex.12:21-23)
to the goat who bleats one last time and then bleeds for the people (lev.16)
to the place of the skull
where time stands still,
where signs find their significance,
where shadows find their source,
where the scarlet thread becomes a tsunami

scarlet grace indeed.

(romans 3:23-26 / hebrews 9:23-28)
(with thanks to mr.spurgeon and francine)