FINAL WORDS

FINAL WORDS

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:7, 8, 10

That may be literally translated, “The many-colored grace of God.” This fisherman, this practical soul, this man who stood in perpetual contrast to the dreamers, said one of the most poetic things about grace. The practical man became a poet. Grace made him a poet. When I read this, the word arrested me, and I thought that I remembered that Peter had used it before. At the beginning of the letter I found it. Many-colored temptations. Over against that, at the close of the letter, he put many-colored grace. Now where are my artist friends? I want them to think that out, and tell us all it means. I have seen some wonderful colors shining in and through it. Many-colored temptations. The yellow temptation of jealousy. The red temptation of passion. Many-colored grace. Heavenly blue shining down upon the yellow. Now, let the artists tell us what happens. When the blue falls upon the yellow we have the green of perfect earthly peace. When the heavenly blue shines on the red of earthly passion, what happens? Then appears the purple of priesthood and of royalty. Many-colored grace falling upon many-colored temptations; transmuting the yellow and the red into the green and the purple by the infinite mystic witchery of heaven’s transfiguring love. Grace is the eternal rainbow of hope across all the arching blackness of the darkest day.