Thursday Thoughts...

“Grace is the face that love wears when it meets imperfection.” 

Joseph R. Cooke

As I imagined when I searched for this fellow, this quote comes from a theological background. I know folk who have become experts in the theological understanding of grace; and yet I tend to think about it in a non-religious way.

I think of people who are gracious. Who show grace in how they respond to things. For me this quote describes that perfectly.

Folk are gracious in the face of imperfection, wrongdoing, and hurt. The way he describes grace as a face is particular I think. It makes me focus on the face of somebody being gracious and I see a calmness, an openness and a gentleness there.

I do not see a sneer, or anger, disappointment or derision. The face I see is accepting and warm, and possibly forgiving.

The word imperfection is also a nice choice. For me it suggests we can all do with being gracious when things don't necessarily meet our standards or expectations. And sometimes I definitely need reminding of that.

And because it is a hard quote and set of thoughts to illustrate, I came up with these poppies. A, because I love poppies, and B, because their quirkiness could be seen as imperfection and yet I see them as beautiful.