For centuries people have debated which is more important and more efficacious: grace from a higher power or doing good works. The issues are complicated and philosophers and theologians have built whole careers around trying to argue the pros and cons so I won’t try to solve the conundrum in one post. However this question has been on my mind in particular so I thought I would start the conversation again.
I think that the Occupy Movement is in part a huge conversation about Grace vs Good Works. I believe that might be the crux of the matter. Pick a time period (10-20-30-70) years we have been expecting our government and those in authority or with money or with power to provide what is good and right and necessary for the population, the 1%. I believe that in a secular world that is looking to a higher power to resolve issues. I’m not saying we haven’t paid for it via taxes and fees and fines. I’m part of the 99%. But I believe Occupy is about saying “enough”. Grace isn’t working so now it’s time for Good Works. It’s time for the 99% to start taking action on their own behalf to resolve their issues. The question is, how is that to be done. And I believe the true issue, aside from the logistics of it all, is whether the 99% want to create a new power center that will provide for them, just go back to the Grace model, or whether we will actually create a model that is about Good Works. About having goods and services be earned instead of doled out from a higher power. We will see.
Meanwhile, the other area where this question seems to arise lately is in talking about the new Millennia. When those in the Spiritual community talk about 2012 and the new era we are entering, it seems like the conversation is about Grace granting us a reprieve from our actions, handing us a brand new world and saying “don’t screw this one up”. But that doesn’t make sense to me. Why would the Universe hand us a fish instead of teaching us how to fish? How will we learn to take care of our toys if we don’t have responsibility to clean up our own messes? Personally I think the new era occurring in 2012 is when people stop waiting for the Universe to hand us a better world and we start making a better world for ourselves. With billions of people on the planet, I think we’ve got enough hands to get the job done. One day at a time, one decision at a time, makes a difference. So I vote for Good Works going forward. But I won’t toss it away if someone blesses my endeavors with some Grace, so there. 🙂