You Can Be 'your Grace'
As I pushed my way through the town centre crowds at the Riding of the Bounds - an annual power encounter lit by the glory of the horses and their battalions of costumed riders - a man in the crowd said 'Hello, Your Grace'. 'I am not Your Grace' I replied. * But how wrong I was.
I forgot that this Thursday is Ascension Day in much of the world, when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and showered graces on the innumerable members of his universal Body. These graces may be received by every willing recipient. They include kindness, forgiveness, insight, love, forbearance, truth, wisdom, goodness, gentleness, friendship, listening, courage, faith. So every such person may be referred to as 'Your Grace'.
Did he ascend or did he transcend or both? You can transcend your mind's petty malformations.
Even someone with Down's Syndrome can transcend and transform, Years ago when we were pioneers in a new housing community, a meeting of councillors, health workers, teachers, police, social workers etc. was convened. Although it was held in the only public building near the main shopping centre - our church - it was entirely secular and included atheists and people on the Left and Right of the political spectrum. My sister had invited the then only person with Down's Syndrome to write a book, Nigel Hunt, which she had helped him to produce, for a holiday. Nigel came to the meeting. He was infatuated with King (then Prince) Charles. Suddenly, he stood up and his stentorian voice pealed out: 'Let us pray'. Everyone stood and he prayed for Prince Charles, etc. etc and us. When he sat they all sat., The meeting began. Nobody else in the world could have induced that meeting to pray. But Nigel was full of grace, He without doubt should be addressed as 'Your Grace'.
How about you?
*When I last purchased clerical shirts I bypassed England's hugely expensive capitalist clergy shop and ordered from a shop in Ireland. They explained that priests had a range of six colours to choose from but only bishops could wear purple. I chose one black, one grey and one red shirt from the range. People who see me in a red shirt have occasionally thought I was a bishop. This man had seen me somewhere and thought (since I also wear a new monastic cross) that I was an archbishop.
