"The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once to your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved.”

Ex. 32:7

In history there have been storms that have destroyed communities and taken lives. What happens after the natural onslaught can be very telling about human nature and the grace of God. There are stories about grace of God. You see people reaching out to help one another and rescuers sometimes risking their own lives to save others. There are the other stories, in contrast, where you see the dark side of human nature. You wonder where the grace of God is in the looting, killing, raping and pillaging.

There is a constant temptation or pull in our life to sin and act outside of the grace of God. When things get difficult in life- whether from the devastation of a natural storm or for the Israelites who wanted food and drink and a better life they were living in the desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt or the pressures and sufferings we might be facing- how will we choose to respond? Will we turn to God for grace or we respond without it?

Gravity is the pull of matter to earth. Sin can be termed as the gravity of depravity. To live in a depraved way is to live in a debased lifestyle. When we choose to go with the pull of depravity we do not base our lives on God and live according to the dictates of his grace. We live without the base of God and exchange that for the dark, selfish human nature that has shut out God’s grace. Depravity means to lessen or cheapen the quality/character/dignity of something. When we will without the having God as our base we lessen the dignity of each other. You see that gravity of depravity when you see the dark deeds done after a natural disaster has swept though a people. You see the gravity of depravity in the Israelites exchanging the worship of Our Living God for a molten calf which cannot save. We see it any time we do not choose to live according to the grace of God. Throughout life, especially when tough times hit, will we choose the gravity of depravity?

There is also the pull to goodness, love, holiness and life. Let us call that the gravity of grace. Grace happens when we do what God wants us to do, no matter how difficult the situation is. Opposite of debasing each other, we base each other on God. Instead of lessening the dignity of others, we increase it when we choose the gravity of grace. Is my life a gravity of grace, lifting up all to their revered place in God’s eyes?

After my dad went bankrupt in his sixties, many people were wondering how he was going to react. Would he choose the gravity of depravity or the gravity of grace? Here he was in his sixties and he lost his financial kingdom which included his retirement because he was self-employed as a dentist. How would he respond to losing all his money and being kicked out of his house? Would he try to numb his pain through drink? Would he throw in the towel, leave the family and live only for himself? I think the bankruptcy was one of the best things that could ever happen to dad and our family. The false God of money was slain once and for all. The gravity of grace was chosen and God is our base. From this base of choosing the gravity of grace I cannot begin to tell you how much goodness, love, holiness, life and dignity has been poured out into our hearts.

God’s will!
+Fr. John