Comments on: Words of Grace

By: Matt Dabbs

Matt Dabbs — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 02:15:51 +0000

I should paint that so broadly…most of us have lost it. Some do it very well.

By: Matt Dabbs

Matt Dabbs — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 02:15:31 +0000

We have lost the art of blessing children and friends.

By: Gary H

Gary H — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 23:45:35 +0000

Kyle, just off the top of my head, I don’t think there is a difference in the sense that people who show grace to others have almost always been shown grace themselves. Of course, a difference betwen Christians and non-Christians generally comes in “who” has demonstrated grace for them: Christians will acknowledge God as the great grace-giver. But, as far as how it looks to some one else, there probably isn’t much of a difference. God designed us all to be capable of conducting grace to others, whether we recognize where it ultimately comes from or not.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 21:45:45 +0000

I’ve thought about this one alot. I’m surprised there wasn’t more discussion about it.

Gary - I think you’re right, or at least more than I am. And Julie is right that I don’t know anything about his relationship with God. That really wasn’t my point. I was really trying to put my finger on the difference in a non-Christian (which he may not even be) showing grace and a Christian showing grace. Is there a difference to you?

By: andy s

andy s — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:43:52 +0000

I love this. Thanks so much for posting this. I wish we all looked at each other with this much grace.

By: Gary H

Gary H — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:46:52 +0000

Kyle, please watch the clip again; he wasn’t ridiculing Ted Haggart, he was ridiculing treatment programs that make cheap and completely unrealistic promises.

By: julie

julie — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:46:36 +0000

Kyle, how do you know that God is not in it? I think he is just saying that we all have battles and how terrible it is for us to rip into each other and make fun of each others’ struggles. Why can’t we take it as honest soul searching? I felt like he was being authentic and even shared some of his own story…it felt to me like testimony.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 02:31:53 +0000

In the name of discussion, I’ll throw this out there. I too am encouraged to see the worldly express a little grace. But what is it worth. Bonhoeffer talks about cheap grace. I don’t think this is exactly what he’s talking about but, this guy didn’t say anything about God. In fact, the closest he came was ridiculing Ted Haggart. I presume this is because he is one of the powerful who are not worthy of his grace. Only the weak multi-millionaire 20 something girls who sell sex to our children are worthy of his grace. Maybe it’s over analyzing and we should just take good will wherever it exists. But I can’t help but think that at the end of the day this is a little (or a lot) hollow if God’s not in it.

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:35:22 +0000

Terry,
Don’t answer the phone!
Terry (another)

By: Mario

Mario — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:24:18 +0000

The most interesting thing to me about the clip was how audience members didn’t get the seriousness of what Ferguson was trying to communicate. At the end, there was less laughter; however, at the beginning he was struggling to get them to take him seriously. While I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the abrupt change in format (expected comedy to something serious), I think that people are generally just afraid of being serious and feeling sympathy/empathy for others. It is uncomfortable for most of us - and thus, I don’t believe we speak “deep words of courageous affirmation” often enough.

By: Beaner

Beaner — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 19:38:35 +0000

Remember on your other post, how I said that I HATE Basketball, but that i do a bracket sheet every year anyway? Well….I’m 15/16 right (Duke….wha’ happened???)

My husband is 9/16 - tee hee

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:08:13 +0000

Is there a way to stop this clip and then resume it? I’ve gotten about 10 minutes into it twice and had to bail because of a phone call.

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:14:43 +0000

Maybe we hold back words of grace because we aren’t comfortable with its reminder of our personal pain that only grace can heal.

By: T. Sherwood

T. Sherwood — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:54:49 +0000

The most powerful part of that clip for me was when he talked about Kevin Costner and “meeting” him, how that changed his thinking…. his words were more than just words, they have an impact on people. If we would start “meeting” people getting to know them for “people” and not just “problems”,”addicts”,”poor people”, “homeless”, we might be able to better see how we can impact their lives for good instead of crushing them even further.

By: Andrew Battistelli

Andrew Battistelli — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 05:52:06 +0000

Those words and moments are powerful. Especially as they happen when you’re in deep need of it, but can’t ask for it.

Honestly, a lot of times I feel that my words aren’t good enough to encourage someone. My poor, problematic, worry-some, angry, passive, hurt self can’t produce any good. Just shows how twisted my thinking is. ‘

Thanks for the reminder.