Saturday, October 25, 1997

Christians don't exhibit enough grace, evangelical author says

By Jim Jones

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

When "Amazing Grace" is sung, I join with people around the world in responding positively to its message that God loves us, despite our unworthiness.

The song about God's exceptional grace saving "a wretch like me" is even more impressive because it was written in the 18th century by John Newton, the captain of a British slave ship before he embraced Christianity and repented his cruel practice.

A mention of Newton is included in the exhibit on the recovered British slave ship Henrietta Marie, on display through January at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Yet Christians today don't exhibit enough of that "amazing grace" described in Newton's famous hymn. At least that's the argument of Philip Yancey, an evangelical Christian, in his latest book, "What's So Amazing About Grace?" published by HarperCollins.

Mixing politics and religion is one of the greatest barriers to grace, Yancey says.

"We spend too much time criticizing people because they differ with us on abortion, homosexuality and other political and social issues. We don't practice what we do best - showing God's grace," Yancey said this week during a visit to Texas.

Now, he said, evangelicals rank "sins" in order of importance. "Abortion and homosexuality are the most unacceptable," he said.

Yancey concedes that the concept of "grace" is hard for people to fathom, whether they are religious or nonreligious.

"Grace baffles us because it goes against the intuition everyone has that, in the face of injustice, some price must be paid," he says in his book. "The murderer can't just go free. A child abuser cannot shrug and say ... I just felt like it."

But, agreeing with C.S. Lewis, the British scholar and Christian philosopher, the main distinction of the Christian faith is "grace," Yancey says.

"Every other religion shows us how we can earn God's approval," Yancey said. "But Christianity says we don't earn God's approval. It's a free gift - a gift of Christ."

Jesus talked a lot about grace - a father forgiving his prodigal son - and he exhibited grace in surprising a woman accused of adultery by forgiving her and telling her to sin no more.

"Grace is a gift on the house, undeserved and unexpected," Yancey writes. "It is South African President Nelson Mandela not seeking revenge after 26 years in prison, George Wallace's apology for racism - and Alabama's African-Americans accepting it.

"Grace is not: a reward for good behavior; the older brother resenting the Prodigal's return; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; getting what you deserve; good, law-abiding Pharisees who want to stone the adulteress ... family feuds passed down for generations; national feuds passed down for centuries ... getting even."

Although many Christians exhibit "grace" every day by caring for the sick and helping those in trouble, the general public doesn't always see that image, he said.

Christians too often are seen as unforgiving, condemning individuals, said Yancey, columnist and editor-at-large of Christianity Today.

When he wrote a column titled "Why Clinton Isn't the Anti-Christ," angry letters from fellow evangelicals flooded his Denver office.

Later, Yancey and other evangelicals were invited to meet with President Clinton, a Southern Baptist, in the White House. The president gave Yancey the idea for his book when he asked, "Why do Christians hate so much?"

Although Yancey doesn't agree with Clinton on many issues, attacking him personally isn't the way to change the president's mind, he argues.

"You need to sit down with him and discuss the issues," he said. "A lot of religious people won't even meet with Clinton."

Yancey grew up in Georgia in a racist and fundamentalist Baptist environment, and his views are quite conservative. He rejected his own faith at one time. But, through grace, he recovered it.

"Grace comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it, and I am one of those people," Yancey said. "Any pang of healing or forgiveness or goodness I have ever felt comes solely from God's grace. I yearn for the church to become a nourishing place for that grace."

(Jim Jones is religion editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Visit the Star-Telegram on the World Wide Web: www.startext.net; www.arlington.net; and www.netarrant.net.

Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services.