Hello Beautiful Souls!

We at the POD are taking the next few weeks to tackle the subject of grace. This Sunday past, we had a very thought provoking perspective on grace by examining it from a Hellenistic/Wiccan point of view as explained to us by Oracle (Luis Valadez).

He spoke on the Greek origin of our modern word grace, which is kharis. The most outstanding difference is that instead of being something unquantifiable as the unmerited favor dispensed by the divine God/Spirit/Universe, that is taught by other beliefs, it was a tangible practice of reciprocity. In the Greek poly-theistic culture, one never went to ask anything of the gods without giving something. And it wasn't giving to get either! It was a form of uninvited honor, as neither the gods nor other people in that culture had an assignation of cost associated with favor. People would give what they had.

Grace/Kharis was a lifestyle, deeply ingrained within Greek culture.

This meant is that even economically deprived people within that culture could comport themselves with dignity and honor by offering what they could. What strikes me is in our modern times, we often times curry favor, that is offer flattery or obsequiousness to gain something, either materially or status-wise from someone we think is in a better position than us. This practice discourages personal dignity and dishonors the one whose favor is sought. I wonder what society would look like if we took a different stance of practicing kharis by honoring another by giving uninvited kindnesses? This mindset would take a little getting used to, as we might get the side-eye from people who wonder what we were up to. Do it anyway!

Thank you Oracle for speaking from the heart and inspiring us to act with kharis.

In gratitude,

Shamamma Bean