GRACE AND THE OSCAR BLUNDER
GRACE AND THE OSCAR BLUNDER
What a scene of chaos! Horrendously complicated chaos! And what a threat to the reputation of Price Waterhouse Coopers and in particular to the careers of the two directors who were directly involved in the mix up that will be trending for a while to come.
Global media is awash with what went wrong at one of Hollywood’s very much anticipated and much watched annual, high level social event.
The whole world saw the mess and for those who were not watching live, they have possibly viewed it a few times on YouTube or at least read or heard about it on the news. There is even a transcript of the mix up on the Website of the Independent Newspaper.
But really,………………….. WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?
There is the saying that goes “To err, is human and to forgive, divine”.
Yes even if in February 2015, The Economia headlines read “PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) second most powerful global brand”; we are still going to have to get over the “live drama”of the Academy Awards of February 2017 and move on.
This reminds me of a woman I know who was caught in the “very act” of adultery. Some “righteous” men brought her before “a young man” ( Jesus Christ of Nazareth) whom they expected would encourage them to condemn her and stone her to death. His response to them was totally unexpected “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”. John 8:7 KJV
She received mercy. There is nothing that compares to the mercy and grace of God. We are told that His anger lasts for a moment but His mercy endures forever.
Not a single one of us is perfect; no matter how we package ourselves and appear to the world.
Yet in our imperfections God still sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for us.
There are times we shun His love and His attempts to draw us close or closer to Him.
Yet He never turns away. Rather He is waiting patiently.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 KJV
In a few hours Christians all over the world will enter into the season of Lent; where for 40 days we are expected to consecrate and re-dedicate our lives to God through fasting, prayer and meditating on the word of God. The prophet Isaiah puts it like this;
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. Isaiah 58:6 -9 AMP
What more can I say? In this season( and at all times, really) I charge us to make every concious effort to be genuinely kind to others and to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever we can.
Freely have we received of God’s mercy and grace; freely should we give.
Let go of past hurts, forgive the erring employee, be merciful with the apprentice, cut someone some slack and do not be too hard on yourself.
Even the “so-called” perfectionist can make a mistake. Do not have their head on a platter.
As we show compassion I pray that God’s grace will abound towards us in Jesus name.
Oluyinka Ego-Martins ©