But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found (Luke 15:32, CEB).
I took my daughter for a campus visit at Michigan State University last week and we had a great time. She created a special playlist for us for the drive there; we stopped at Taco Bell, which is becoming somewhat of a ritual for us; and the visit itself was helpful and informative. Until the parking ticket.
We had to park about a half-mile away from the Admissions Office and I wasn’t quite sure what the process was (Would we get reimbursed? Where were the parking attendants? Is it free on Columbus Day?), but we were running a bit late so I parked and we started walking quickly. On our way out of the lot, I discovered a machine that explained the process. You enter in the license plate of your car, pay for the time you want, and, voila!, you’re done. We recently bought a new car with new license plates and I still haven’t quite memorized them so, because we were running late, I did my best to remember and paid for three hours.
When we returned to our car, however, I realized I entered our license plate number incorrectly and there was a lovely ticket waiting for us, gently flapping under the windshield wiper. The ticket was only $10, but I was determined to appeal it, explaining the whole situation. Today, I got the good news (which you can see above): I won the appeal, but the parking officials at MSU couldn’t let it go at that. They informed me that they would withdraw the violation ONLY FOR THIS REASON and that in the future PLEASE VERIFY PLATE IS ENTERED CORRECTLY. In other words, we’ll it slide this time, but don’t do it again.
I understand where they’re coming from, but it made me think of limited grace. Sometimes in our faith lives, we’re up for forgiving another person but we can’t help ourselves and also stress the consequences to the other person so that the grace doesn’t feel so amazing. Or we may have an image of a God who gives us the same message. I’ll share my grace with you if…If you go to church more. If you change your ways. If you be a better person.
This may be why the story of the forgiving father (aka parable of the Prodigal Son) is such a favorite. The father runs to the son. The father embraces him. The father throws a party. Maybe after the party, the father talks to his son about how he might make some changes in his life, but we don’t see that. All we see is radical, amazing, generous grace.
It’s the kind of grace you and I have available to us. It’s the kind of grace we’re encouraged to share with others. It’s the kind of grace that deserves ALL CAPS.