Did They Really Fall from Grace?

It seems that the media loves the term, "Fall from Grace." Just about any time a celebrity, politician or other high-profile individual commits a wrongdoing (or something that is deemed inappropriate or corrupt), a headline with the words "Fall from Grace" seems to surface somewhere. But what is grace and how does one truly fall from it?

There are many definitions for the word "grace," most notably:

1. "elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action."

2. "favor or good will."

3. "the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God."

Which of the above definitions would you want to reflect you and your life?

It is human nature to give ourselves too much or too little credit. To think that we can adjust a person's real worth or permanently change the quality of their life when they stumble or err is giving ourselves way too much credit. In doing so, we are assuming that we have real power over another. We believe that we can give that person value when they do something that pleases us (such as entertain, educate, inspire or in some other way impress), and that we can take it away when they displease us. We believe that we are the creators of their "grace" and that just as quickly as we bestowed it upon them, we can pull the red carpet from under them and banish them from the festivities of life.

There is something both humorous and disturbing about the way in which people attempt to assign value to others based on what they do. We elevate persons to unrealistically high levels when we shouldn't, and condemn them when we have no real right to do so. An athlete whose athletic prowess and showmanship attracts millions of fans and television viewers becomes almost superhuman in the minds of many - until they fumble in their personal life. Our applause turns to booing as they reveal that they are just human beings after all. Likewise, an entertainer who makes hit after hit sells out concerts until they are accused of a grave error that gains public attention. Suddenly we go from admiring them to making them the primary subjects of our jokes and ridicule.

I write this not in support of any particular high-profile individual, but to express my view that real grace comes from God, not from man. Whatever gifts or favor we receive from humans pales in comparison to that which we receive from Him. And even though there are consequences that we must pay when we sin, our value never changes. We receive grace because of who we are, not because of what we do.

Yes, we all make mistakes and I would never defend anyone who has unnecessarily harmed another living being, engaged in corrupt behavior or proven to be a hypocrite. Nevertheless, I understand that I really do not have any say over that person's value as a human being, regardless of how I feel about their actions. I can stop buying tickets to their events, or purchasing paraphernalia with their name on it. I can avoid watching their TV shows, or buying their music. But what I cannot ever do is take away from their overall worth. And most of all, I cannot take away the grace that is God-given.

Sources:

American Psychological Association (APA):

grace. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 13, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grace

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

grace. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grace (accessed: January 13, 2008).

Modern Language Association (MLA):

"grace." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 13 Jan. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grace>.