Grace Is the Creative Spark

Do you sometimes feel that life is blessed and things are unfolding effortlessly, without force or struggle? Some people say it is because of “grace” or “God’s grace.

- 

ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some thoughts on grace, transmission, and creativity, and finds grace at the center of many of our inspirations and insights.

” There is a famous proverb, “There but for the grace of God go I,” attributed to John Bradford, who witnessed criminals being led to their death by execution in the 1500s. It expresses the humility and acceptance that we are not any more worthy, simply blessed by the grace of God.

Grace is more likely to be gifted when we are lost in whatever we are doing or in a condition of complete helplessness. This happens when we are no longer the doer, when we transcend ourselves and enter that “invisible somewhere” (to borrow a phrase from Daaji), and our most joyful, creative states emerge.

If you look around, you will find the word “grace” appearing often. While it may not be so fashionable these days due to its religious connotations, it has been part of our language for centuries. The Latin “gratus” meant pleasing or thankful; “gratia” in Old French meant favor, charm, or thanks; “grateful” appeared in Old English, and “grace” in Middle English. The words “pleasing,” “thankful,” “gracious,” and “grateful” are all connected to the concept of grace.

In Sanskrit, there are several words for grace, including “kripa,” also meaning mercy and blessing; “anugraha,” also meaning favor and blessing; and “prasada,” which refers to grace as a gift. The Hebrew word is “hen,” which conveys the idea that grace is not earned but given freely by God. A good analogy is that the sun shines on everything, yet we choose to expose ourselves to sunlight or not. Similarly, grace is available everywhere, so how do we prepare ourselves to receive it? The way may not be what we think!