Three Little Words with the Power of an Atomic Love Bomb: Grace and Peace

Since our perceptions form our realities, what if we chose to view and greet others through the lens of generosity and abundance?

While I looked peaceful and put together on the outside, on the inside I was trembling and terrified. It was March 2003, just before our invasion of Iraq, and I was sitting alone in a Middle Eastern airport. Virtually every person—who looked and spoke differently from me—appeared to be a potential threat. Images of terrorists seizing and dragging me away, or worse, danced in my head. Naturally, the fact that I was in the air force, deployed there for our offensive, only exacerbated this notion.

As rational or irrational as what was going on inside of me was, my fear was all too real. Even though that was more than 20 years ago, merely reflecting on that experience still triggers a powerful visceral response in my body. It’s an inner shudder, akin to how an animal shakes off stress and such. This is not only because our brilliant bodies “keep the score” by holding our memories, but also because:

The way we choose to perceive others potently affects us, as well as how we treat people.

From both humanity’s cultural and evolutionary programming, our default view of otherness trends toward suspicion—at a minimum. Factor in what was going on in the world at that time, and it’s no wonder that I was experiencing the strangers in the airport through the lens of fight, flight, or freeze!

Now, while I lead with a fairly dramatic example of this, do you see how the same principle applies to our everyday, regular lives? How the way we view others impacts both our inner landscape, and the way we treat and talk to them? In my life, I see this not only with those who look, believe, and behave differently from me; but, also in the attitude I adopt toward strangers, family, clients, friends, students, coworkers, and such.

The good news is: One of the gifts of being human is that we are ripe with potential and possibility. Meaning, how we think, believe, and behave is never set in stone—it’s always changeable.

This is where three words that radically changed my life toward love and awesomeness come in:

Grace and peace.

Now, before I go into glittery gloriousness of a “grace and peace” disposition, I have to give props to Rob Bell for opening my eyes, mind, and heart to it. I am forever grateful.

Nearly half of the New Testament, 13 of the 27 books, are authored by, or linked to Saint Paul. And, in every single one, the writer greets the readers with a hope, wish, and prayer for grace and peace. In other words, his default perception of them is laden with grace and rich with peace. So, what does that mean?

The Greek word for “grace” is Charis (the New Testament was written in ancient Greek). Charis contains a strong theme of joy, while expressing beauty, physical elegance, favor, and gratitude. According to Aristotle it means, “that which is conferred guilelessly for pure joy, with generosity and open-heartedness.” And when it comes to what Paul is getting at, New Testament scholar and linguist Spiros Zodhiates essentially says Charis means: “The absolutely free expression of the love of God.” In other words:

To see and greet a person with grace, is to hope they deeply feel, experience, and know the unconditional love and favor of whatever logic, entity, intelligence, and/or spirit, is behind and within our existence.

In short:

To live in grace, is to live as the beloved.

As humans, there is virtually nothing we need or crave more than to be loved. So, in my mind, it doesn’t get much more beautiful than to wish another person belovedness.

(These words have meant so much to me, that I put them in my first tattoo)

Now, it’s important to note that in Paul’s coupling of grace and peace, peace always follows grace. You’d think he’d mix it up now and then! But the order is key, because the latter flows from the former. Grace gifts us with peace. The experience of favor and belovedness, yields a deep calm and wholeness.

With that in mind, here’s where it gets geeky in a super cool way! While language of the New Testament is Greek, the Old Testament’s is Hebrew. This is relevant because Eirene, the Greek word Paul uses for “peace”, is more accurately and fully understood as a callback to the Hebrew word Shalom.

While Shalom is typically translated as “peace”, it means so much more than the cessation of strife, or the absence of war, violence, and quarrelling. It’s peace, welfare, prosperity, health, and well-being—for one and all! Shalom, in my mind, is to experience heaven on earth. In other words:

To wish “peace” for a person, is to bless them with all manner of goodness. To pray every aspect of their life is the way it’s meant to be.

And now we get to the best part. Paul leads with “grace and peace”, what if we did the same?

What if, you and I chose to see everyone through the lens of grace and peace?

What if, we decided to “greet” everyone we meet with grace and peace?

What if, we committed to treating ourselves with grace and peace?

What if, you and I made an extra point of regarding people different from us with grace and peace?

What if, as best we can, our starting point for everything was grace and peace?

I bet it would be amazing. And, I know that you are amazing.

I wish an abundance of grace and peace to you. Now, and always.

Hugs & Love,

Lang (aka“Dr. Love”)