Infernal Labyrinth
IYKYK Lections: The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost ( Lectionary 25 ), AD 2026 A Homily: Lord, we pray for the preacher, for you know his sins are great. Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Grace is a remarkably dangerous idea. We resist it in pride. We receive it with joy. We witness it lavished upon others with discontent. And when we find ourselves expected to exhibit it, our affrontedness kindles rage. Grace goes against our nature, or at least the nature of our fallen condition. We like to think that we earn what we get. That’s fair; that’s just; isn’t it? Work hard, keep your nose clean, and rightly reap rewards. Many might describe this as the American Dream. “Here we judge you by what you do, not by who your father was,” yes? Such sentiments aren’t unique to our nation, but they are particular to it. And I certainly admit to the appeal. Most of us want to do the right thing, or so I should hope; to ...
