Love

"God's grace is undeserved, but it's not unconditional."

Someone left their printing on the printer in the office. I was there to print class materials, but since it was left there, I thought I would glance to see if I could deliver it to the appropriate person. The material was Christian in nature, which didn't surprise me too much. Having not gone to church since before I came to China, I thought I would read a little to see what the study was about. This sentence sent me spinning.

Christian or no, does this sentence even make sense? Undeserved means unearned, which means you can't do something to earn it. Unconditional means made without conditions or unreserved. There are too many negatives in the sentence: "God's grace is undeserved, but it is conditional." Ew, gross. Doesn't putting a condition on something mean that you earn it? The question went on to say that one must be humble to receive God's grace. Does this make sense: The condition is to be humble, and by being humble you are deserving.

It was drilled into all of our heads early that Grace means 'undeserved love.' I guess it's kind of assumed that undeserved also means unconditional, since whatever makes one deserving must be a condition. I just don't understand how a sentence like that makes someone feel better. Maybe if you meet the condition, it's not a big deal to you. It's the premise that bothers me: If you meet the condition, then you are better than those who haven't met it. Instead of feeling good for feeling good's sake, we have to tear down other people in the process. I just don't think this should fall under the umbrella of "Good News."

-吴佩芙