Stories of Amazing Grace.
How so many of us turn to the hymn Amazing Grace whenever we are troubled? The hymn was written in 1773 by slave trader William Newton who later converted and became an abolitionist. The hymn later joined the growing corpus of Black Spirituals and has of course crossed over into many non-religious forums as what we might call a “secular hymn.”
All four bible readings for today exemplify the effectiveness of God’s amazing grace.
- The prophet Jeremiah was rescued by the Lord when he was under attack.
- The psalmist proclaims God’s care for the outcast, those shamed for their zeal.
- St. Paul proclaims God’s victory over sin and death in Jesus.
- Matthew’s gospel proclaims a victory celebration for those under attack for their faith.
- How about YOU? What storied experiences of God’s amazing grace might you pass on to many others as we move along in troubled times affecting both our religious and secular environments? Perhaps you can also add to the traditions that celebrate God’s Amazing Grace in many new contexts, flowing from the amazing graces in your White House Jesuit Retreat experiences of the Spiritual Exercises, and invite others to join the story.
Ted Arroyo, S.J.
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