Amazing Grace

I heard a story yesterday about how the song "Amazing Grace" came to be. It is a story about a great sinner (the sins were great not the guy that committed them) and a story about the old HP's forgiveness. It is also a testament to the ability of the old HP to take the remnants great tragedy and harm and turn them into something wonderful. The old HP is really good at doing that, which is probably why He's the old HP and the rest of us are not.

The story begins in the darkest time of slave trading. People were abducted from their homelands and transported to other continents far across the sea. The slave traders would gather as many people as possible, chain them together and throw them into the hull of a ship for transport. The voyages took many months and there were people that did not survive. Those that died were left chained in place and the bodies decomposed right where they had died, leaving the people on either side of them chained to a dead body for the duration.

At the journey's end, those still alive were sold as slaves. Human beings are capable of such atrocious behavior, especially against other human beings. Not everyone is civilized. Perhaps some aren't even domesticated. It is as true in this day and age as it has been in the past.

There was a man that was regarded as one of the best slave traders. Now there's an oxymoron for you! Any way, he had many ships for transport, abducted (and subsequently sold) many people and made lots and lots of money. This went on for years. I'm thinking that money might have been his Higher Power at the time. God, please don't let that ever be true for me.

Eventually, the slave trader began to look into himself and examine what was there inside of him. He discovered that he was an unlovely creature and began to change. As his wrongdoings became obvious, he saw how sinful he had been. I would imagine he tortured himself with all the stupid, ugly and unspeakable things he had done. Maybe even played them over and over, whipping himself each time. This is what I tend to do when I commit a wrong or a sin and so do many other people I've talked to about accepting themselves and the old HP's capacity for forgiveness. So I bet this guy did it, too.

Once he admitted his wrongs and asked the old HP for forgiveness, he was on his way out of the Hell of guilt, shame and remorse. I'm not saying that he became as pure as the driven snow, I'm thinking that the old HP eased this guy's burden a bit. The old HP took the guilt, shame and remorse and helped the guy create a timeless song of great beauty and comfort for others. I also take comfort in knowing that if the old HP has a use for someone that sinful, He probably hasn't given up on me, either.

The grace of God is truly amazing.

Have a good and sober day.