We crouch behind our walls and fences, readying ourselves for what we’ve learned to fear. We lock all doors, secure the bars. We mentally rehearse our steps, our routes. We twitch at unfamiliar sounds, lie wide awake when branches scrape the roof, and wait for light and morning. Whoever is not us is “other”—a nameless, faceless “stranger” we assume means only harm. “They” are the people unlike us—of different race, perhaps; or language, habits, customs, faiths. We crave the time machine that takes us back to comfort as we knew it. But grace is so remarkably persistent that even locks and fears cannot deter how it reshapes our thinking. When you discover—at long last—that you were “other” to the Lord—that you were threatening to His kingdom, a rebel to His law and rule, and damaging the world with your hostility and hate. And still He loved—still welcomed you into His house, and gave you keys to all the property. He trusted you before you knew you could be trusted; offered you forgiveness—yes—for sins not yet repented of. We were embraced before we even tried to love. “God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:18). So grace remakes our way of seeing those we used to fear—takes down our walls brick after brick—until we learn that difference is a source of joy, that “other” can be “brother,” “sister” “neighbor,” “friend.” The great unlearning has begun. Now stay in grace. -Bill Knott
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Transformation Tips: A Bible Primer For Crisis Management (May 2020)
Brinda Kiš: The Offer (May 2020)
Searching The Obvious: How Are We Doing? (May 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Grace Reaching (May 1, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: All Of Grace (April 24, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Trusting What's True (April 17, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Morning Has Broken (April 10, 2020)
Journeys With Jesus: The Face of Seth (April 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: When I'm Afraid (April 3, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Alone, Not Lonely (March 27, 2020)
Expect Trouble to Break Out: A Conversation with Shawn Boonstra (March 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Glad To Pray (March 20, 2020)
Bill Knott: Acts of God (March 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Growing Green (March 13, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: The School of Grace (March 6, 2020)
Searching The Obvious: Pray For Me
Wilona Karimabadi: Happy Cereal Day
Sharon Tennyson: Reflections From the Servant Queen
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: Increasing Your Net Worth (February 28, 2020)
Bill Knott's GraceNotes: First Light (February 21, 2020)
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