“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
(The Angel Gabriel, Luke 1:28)
On Sunday I shared a story about Benjamin Zander, the conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a professor of music. One year he decided to begin class by telling all of the students that they would receive an “A.” All they had to do was write a letter to him explaining why they deserved such a high grade. They had to date the letter the following May and write about what happened during the year, including goals, benchmarks, successes and celebrations. They also had to focus on who they had become. It was an amazing year for Zander and his class. His students let go of their fears and anxieties over making mistakes, not measuring up, and not being as good as others; and they all acted like “A” students! Furthermore, they made music with more life and passion than ever before!
Benjamin Zander offered grace to his class that year. Grace is something good that is offered simply out of kindness. It is not earned or deserved, offered as payment or reward. It is simply given because the giver is kind and compassionate. This is how God treats us! We all get an “A” even before we do anything to deserve any grade at all! In God’s eyes we are already perfect. If we would only believe that God’s grace is already ours, I think we would act like Benjamin Zander’s students: we would live and act together with more life and passion than ever before…and we would be at peace with everyone; for there would be no reason to compete! Why compete with someone when you are already guaranteed an “A”?
As we contemplate the meaning of Christmas, I hope we can hear the words of God, spoken through the angel Gabriel: “Greetings favored one! The Lord is with you.” For these words were not just for Mary. They were intended for each of us. We all receive God’s favor, whether we deserve it or not (grace!), and God is always with us. For me, this is the real meaning of Christmas. May we allow God’s grace to come to us and may we share it with others during this Advent season as we prepare our hearts for Christ to enter in surprising and unexpected ways!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of this week’s message. You may also see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see many of his past messages and subscribe in order be notified when a new message is posted. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. Please feel free to “Like” any of the videos you see and share them on social media, such as Facebook, so that others will notice them.
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
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