As ever we needed grace, we need it right now, in the middle of this pandemic.
Divine Grace means "Love and Mercy without us having done anything to earn it." As a Quaker, though, I can't help but think of "that of God in everyone", and concentrate on what we need to do to manifest grace on earth.
In Divine grace, love embraces all of humanity, not because of their pecuniary worth but because they are, simply, a miracle. It extends a hand regardless of what the other can do for you. It means being bigger than squabbles, greater than divisions.
In Divine grace, mercy means relinquishing power over other people and holding only goodness. It means accepting their faults and looking beyond them at their humanity.*
We need divine grace right now. We need to see ourselves as denizens of a world that is suffering even as we are, perhaps suffering more -- a world where we are all nations, all ages, all genders, all socioeconomic statuses, all religions and none. We need to offer love and mercy, not because we will receive it back, but because it is demanded of us.
*Mercy doesn't necessarily mean becoming a victim. You can protect yourself from harm without denigrating the other.
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