On: Grace

Unless you've been living under an e-rock for the past couple of weeks, you've probably e-followed the Ted Willimas story.

Last week, the following video went "viral." Click here to watch, if you haven't already.

In case your ADD kicks in, here are the basics: A Homeless dude has an awesome radio voice.

After his video got infectious like ebola, Mr. Williams' situation changed completely. Job offers came flooding in. He appeared on Good Morning America. The Cleveland Cavaliers want him. Kraft wants him to be the voice of Mac'n'Cheese.

There are good reasons for this stories popularity. It's a great rags to riches, diamond in the rough, "redemption" type story. What is most poignant about this story is what it lacks.

Grace.

Biblical Grace.

Even though I've heard it described as a story of grace, of redemption, this story is not true grace.

The 3 famous parables of Luke 15 describe God's grace: A lost sheep is sought by a shepherd, a lost coin is sought by its owner. A spendthrift son is welcomed home by the father he despised.

Each of these stories illustrates the paradigm shift that is New Testament Grace.

Ted Williams' story does not.

Mr. Williams is, essentially, Susan Boyle in different packaging. He possesses talent that has gone to waste, but has recently been discovered. He is the happy beneficiary of lucky circumstances. The change in his situation is the result of his talent, of his exceptional qualities. Furthermore, his situation has changed because of his tremendous popularity, as he's become a famous person.

The biblical parables that illustrate grace are totally different from this story. The recipients of grace are not exceptionally valuable or talented. One sheep is not more valuable than the other 99, one coin is not more valuable than the other 10.

The spend-thrift son is no more valuable than the dutiful son who works for the benefit of the father.

In these parables, though, the seeker seeks the lost thing and treats it as something or someone of great value. Overwhelming value. The shepherd leaves the rest of his livelihood, the woman seeks the coin despite its lack of exceptional value.

The father runs to the son. The son who told the father "I wish you were dead" by taking his inheritence early. The son who squandered the fathers wealth. The son completely without external value to the Father.

Ted Williams is getting a kind of twisted "justice." Right now, he is getting what he deserves: compensated for his "golden voice." Grace for this man will be continued opportunity when he goes on a binge.

Grace is active. Grace seeks.Grace does not seek the exceptional, but the mundane.

Grace pardons the guilty, not the wrongly convicted.

Biblical grace is not just avoiding getting what is deserved, it is getting more than is deserved.

That's why Ted Williams' story is not true grace, but helps us to realize what grace really is.