Grace and peace.
Last in my series of four mantras is “grace and peace”. This was introduced to me as Paul’s standard greeting in his letters which became books of the Bible. Grace was like the standard Gentile (Greek) greeting. Peace or shalom was the standard Jewish greeting. In addressing grace and peace to his audience, he wasn’t offering grace to the Gentiles and peace to the Jews. Rather, it was a unifying statement—God’s grace and peace are freely offered to the Greek and the Jew.
As a mantra, this serves not at a greeting to my Christian friends, but as a reminder of how I am to approach others. It reminds me to first offer grace and peace in every interaction and relationship (something I am not very good at doing). Grace is from the Greek word caris. It refers to unearned favor or a gift of blessing. As the last phrase I write in my morning journal entry, this intended to set my mind on interacting with others from an initial vantage point of care and love.
This is perhaps the mantra that most easily escapes my mind. Thus, it needs to be frequently refreshed. I often find myself needing to pause and recite “grace and peace” to myself before proceeding.
“Grace and peace” is a mantra I must recite to myself before going into a difficult conversation. Before I am about to face a trying person, I take a moment to just breathe deeply and let these words permeate my mind. (Or should I say it is my intention to do so. I would be dishonest in claiming that I always did this. It is my goal, however.)
I am better for reciting this phrase—whether I allow it to fully take root or not. In general, it tempers my attitude. It is better than not beginning here. I at least begin to overcome the initial inertia and begins to move me in a more positive direction.
Like the other mantras (“be your best today, be better tomorrow”, “I am third”, and “to God be the glory”), this needs to be repeated often to keep me on track. Somedays require it more than others—as do some people (but, I suspect, there are those who are speaking “grace and peace” under their breath when they are encountering me).
“When you are spiritually connected, you are not looking for occasions to be offended, and you are not judging and labeling others. You are in a state of grace in which you know you are connected to God and thus free from the effects of anyone or anything external to yourself.”—Wayne Dyer