While driving into town this morning, I saw the worst bumper sticker ever . . . It read:

“AIDS cures fags.”

I was immediately shaken . . . sickened really. I thought I would throw up. . . . really . . . I was repulsed!

Of course, I’ve seen and heard some of the others: “God hates fags.” “Fags are going to hell.” “AIDS is God’s punishment for homosexuality.” And perhaps I’ve gotten too used to seeing them, but this one took me by surprise. Worse still, the other side of the bumper had a sticker with the name of a church. How disgusting!

How is it that some people who claim to be speaking for God can be so un-godlike? [OK, so you can find a few verses in the Bible where even God seems un-godlike.] But the Old Testament at least hints that God is ultimately a God of grace. In the New Testament, the principle of grace reaches its apex—in the teachings and practices of Jesus, who is the embodiment/incarnation of God. His ways of grace were (and are) a radical departure from the ways of the world. The ways of grace is the primary characteristic of this Jesus/God. What’s more . . . he expects his followers to be practitioners of those same ways of grace. So how can anyone who claims the name of Jesus ascribe to such hate-filled propaganda? Where is grace in that slogan? And where is the grace in driving around with that bumper sticker on your vehicle?

Philip Yancey, in his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, laments, however, that Christians are often more likely to practice UNGRACE, rather than grace! Why is that? How could a religion founded on the notion of grace have grown so far from its founder’s teaching and practice? Practicing the ways of Jesus means . . .

Acceptance - I read an article recently that said, “if we want to be like Jesus, we’re going to have to sit in the smoking section.” But I think it’s probably even more radical than that. Grace means accepting (and not avoiding) everyone, especially when they are very different from me, and even if I don’t really like them.

Tolerance - I may be splitting hairs here, but it seems to me that acceptance is about the person and tolerance is about what they stand for. Some Christians can accept people who are different, yet not tolerate any variances in their beliefs. Grace means tolerating everyone’s point of view, especially when their views are at the polar extreme.

Love - yes, even of my enemies. And by “enemies” I don’t just mean the people thousands of miles away—actually the enemies of my government . . . That can be hard enough . . . I mean my straw enemies, too—the people I take pot-shots at behind their backs.

Forgiveness - here I’m talking about those who’ve actually done me harm—either unintentionally and/or especially intentionally. Yancey says, “The only thing harder than forgiveness is the alternative.” I’m still pondering that one.

I know . . . grace ain’t easy! Anything else is not the way of Jesus . . . but sporting a bumper sticker like this one . . . is downright disgraceful!