History of the Phrase<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n It\\u2019s important to note the ironic origins of this phrase. <\\/strong>According to The Word Counter<\\/a><\\/span>, there is a (somewhat doubtful) universal tradition about the origin of this phrase:<\\/p>\\n " There\\u2019s a record of this attribution to Bradford in A Treatise on Prayer written by Edward Bickersteth in 1822:<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/em>\\u201cThe pious Martyr Bradford, when he saw a poor criminal led to execution, exclaimed, \\u2018there, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.\\u2019 He knew that the same evil principles were in his own heart which had brought the criminal to that shameful end.\\u201d<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/em>As universal tradition, or legend, has it, Bradford uttered the expression using his own name when seeing criminals being led to their death, realizing it could be him. Interestingly, he didn\\u2019t escape such a fate for long: He was burned at the stake in 1555.<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Whether Bradford actually said this or not, the story does a good job at illustrating the hypocrisy of the expression. It suggests the warning, \\u201cYou\\u2019d better be careful about your assumptions regarding God\\u2019s grace. You may be closer to the person you pity than you think.\\u201d<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n From the Lips of Passersby<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n**** *\* Working as I do with people who use drugs and struggle with addiction, I hear this phrase a lot. Granted, it\\u2019s old-fashioned, but people still say it. Usually, you hear it from the lips of passersby, observing someone in a difficult circumstance. <\\/strong>I\\u2019ve heard it from folks shaking their heads in pity at a person experiencing homelessness curled up on the sidewalk. Ostensibly, they say it to remind themselves not to be judgmental, and that\\u2019s a good thing. This phrase sounds like it says, \\u201cI could be in the same boat if I didn\\u2019t have the grace of God in my life. So, I need to be gracious to them.\\u201d<\\/p>\\n *\* ****\\u00a0<\\/p>\\n On the Backend\\u2026<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n****** *\* ******But, if you listen carefully, this phrase says something entirely different. <\\/strong>On the backend, it says, \\u201cI\\u2019m not like this other person, because I have the grace of God in my life.\\u201d It reminds me of the\\u2026<\\/p>\\n " \\u00a0<\\/em>Pharisee \[who\] <\\/em>stood over by himself and prayed, \\u201cGod, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there\\u2026<\\/em> The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, \\u201cGod, have pity on me! I am such a sinner (Luke 18.11, 13 CEV).\\u201d<\\/a><\\/span><\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n \\u00a0<\\/em>On the backend, this phrase says that I\\u2019m better than the other person<\\/strong>. It implies that I\\u2019m spiritually superior. And this attitude completely goes against the point of grace.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n A Common Misconception<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n********* *\* *********This phrase presumes that the reason I don\\u2019t suffer from addiction, poverty, or other calamity is because God has given me special grace not given to this other person<\\/strong>. What arrogance! It presumes that believers are blessed, and unbelievers are not blessed. And it presumes that those who struggle must not be believers.<\\/p>\\n In the book of Job<\\/a>,<\\/span> many of Job\\u2019s friends felt this way. \\u201c<\\/strong>You must have done something wrong,\\u201d they told him. \\u201cYou must deserve the destruction that fell on you and your family.\\u201d Job\\u2019s friends gave counsel that aligned with the common misconception that good people prosper, while sinners struggle. The presumption is that grace is something we earn by being good. Such a notion forgets the meaning of grace entirely.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n God\\u2019s Unmerited Favor<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n The word grace<\\/em> means God\\u2019s unmerited favor.<\\/strong> There is nothing that anyone can do to earn it, and nothing that anyone can do to deny it. Jesus said<\\/a><\\/span> God makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the righteous as well as the wicked. in other words, God continually gives grace to the world, no matter what. It\\u2019s not a matter of deserving it. We don\\u2019t get grace because we\\u2019re good. We get grace because God is good.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n Grace and Grits<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n When I was young, I heard a sermon that stuck with me. I don\\u2019t remember who preached it, but this idea is not mine. The preacher said that grace is like grits. In the American South, when you order off the menu at some diners, grits<\\/a><\\/span> comes as part of the meal. If they bring you your food and you didn\\u2019t order grits, you might tell the server, \\u201cI didn\\u2019t ask for this, and I\\u2019m not paying for it.\\u201d Then the server will reply, \\u201cOh, Sugar, you don\\u2019t have to ask for grits. Grits just comes.\\u201d Grace is like grits. You don\\u2019t have to ask for it.<\\/strong> It\\u2019s not a matter of inviting Jesus into your heart to receive it. Grace just comes.<\\/p>\\n If we had to believe it in order to receive it, if we had to ask for it, then, that belief and request would be a good work that we did to please God and deserve that blessing.<\\/strong> In that case, it wouldn\\u2019t be grace. It would no longer be God\\u2019s unmerited favor. It would be something that we received because we earned it by believing. But, since by definition, grace cannot be earned, grace is like grits. It just comes.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n We Create Injustice<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n*************** *\* Therefore, we shouldn\\u2019t say, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\\u201d Because everyone has God\\u2019s grace. Grace is not what keeps one person from addiction, while another person succumbs. The lack of divine grace does not cause poverty or unjust circumstances. Instead, we create injustice in the world when we look down on someone else and presume that we are more special than they are, that we are the recipients of God\\u2019s grace, and they are not.<\\/strong> At its worst, this phrase promotes the very injustices that caused the trauma which underlies addiction, poverty, and so much human pain.<\\/p>\\n *\* ***************\\u00a0<\\/p>\\n What Should We Say?<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n So, if we shouldn\\u2019t use this phrase, what should we say?<\\/strong> Let\\u2019s try this\\u2014Let\\u2019s abbreviate that phrase. \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God,<\\/span> go I\\u201d becomes, \\u201cThere go I.\\u201d By removing the notion that divine grace qualifies me and disqualifies them, I make myself their equal. I understand that on a mystical level, there is no difference between them and me<\\/a><\\/span>. Instead of saying, \\u201cThat could be me,\\u201d it\\u2019s better to say, \\u201cThat is me.\\u201d Let\\u2019s try to understand that we are all linked together in spirit. When our neighbors on the street suffer, we hurt too. And when someone is trapped by addiction, we are caught ourselves.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n Mystical Union<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n This mystical union does not simply link one individual to another. Instead, it melts us into one. <\\/strong>The apostle Paul communicated this when he said, \\u201cIn Christ\\u2019s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ (Galatians 3.28 MSG<\\/span><\\/a>).\\u201d<\\/em> I can no longer judge people by the binaries of black and white, gay or straight, addict or sober, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat, citizen or foreigner, sinner or saint. I can no longer say, \\u201cI am #Blessed, and you are #Not.\\u201d Instead, my blessedness is so related to yours that I cannot truly delight in my blessing until my neighbor is safe and well.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n #Blessed Nations<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n******************* *\* This applies to societies and nations as much as it applies to individuals.<\\/strong> For example, when Americans look at neighbors in developing countries and say, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I,\\u201d we judge them for their relative poverty and presume a lot about God\\u2019s grace. We presume there is something we\\u2019ve done to deserve our wealth. We conclude that for some reason, they deserve their humbler situation. Somehow, we think that we are different from them and that there isn\\u2019t one universal Spirit linking all humankind. With a little more understanding of mystical union, the world would be a lot better off.<\\/p>\\n *\* *******************\\u00a0<\\/p>\\n Stop Saying, \\u201cThere, but for the Grace of God, Go I\\u201d<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n********************* *\* So, the next time you see someone who is down and out, think twice before you use this phrase. Instead of saying, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I,\\u201d try saying, \\u201cThere go I.\\u201d By embracing this attitude, we tear down the dividing wall of hostility and create peace instead of pity.<\\/p>\\n *\* *********************\\u00a0<\\/p>\\n For Further Reading, Check Out My Other Articles:<\\/strong><\\/h3>\\n\\nJesus and Trauma-Informed Care<\\/a><\\/span><\\/li>\\nRetributive vs. Restorative Justice: Doing Good to Those Who Harm Us<\\/a><\\/span><\\/li>\\nWhat\\u2019s the Best Way for Churches to Do Benevolence?<\\/a><\\/span><\\/li>\\nWhat Jesus Said to the Homeless Man<\\/a><\\/span><\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n*********************** *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n<\\/body><\\/html>\\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" *\* ***********************Stop saying, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it. History of the Phrase It\\u2019s important to note the ironic origins of this phrase. According to The Word Counter, there is a (somewhat doubtful) universal tradition about the \[…\]<\\/p>\\n","protected":false},"author":4628,"featured\_media":3174,"comment\_status":"open","ping\_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":\[173,6\],"tags":\[2283,2280,2277,2286,2274\],"class\_list":\["post-3057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-justice","category-spirituality","tag-jobs-friends","tag-judging-others","tag-martyr-john-bradford","tag-spiritual-arrogance","tag-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i"\],"yoast\_head":"\\nStop Saying, "There, But for the Grace of God, Go I."<\\/title>\\n<meta name=\\"description\\" content=\\"Stop saying, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it.\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"robots\\" content=\\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\\" \\/>\\n<link rel=\\"canonical\\" href=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/breathingspace\\/2023\\/05\\/stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:locale\\" content=\\"en\_US\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:type\\" content=\\"article\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:title\\" content=\\"Stop Saying, "There, But for the Grace of God, Go I."\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:description\\" content=\\"Stop saying, \\u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it.\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:url\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/breathingspace\\/2023\\/05\\/stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:site\_name\\" content=\\"Breathing Space\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:author\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/www.facebook.com\\/revgregsmith\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:published\_time\\" content=\\"2023-05-12T11:00:43+00:00\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:modified\_time\\" content=\\"2023-05-06T21:59:24+00:00\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:image\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/wp-media.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/sites\\/1467\\/2023\\/04\\/poor-gda6ef33aa\_1280.jpg\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:width\\" content=\\"782\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:height\\" content=\\"455\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:type\\" content=\\"image\\/jpeg\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"author\\" content=\\"Gregory T. 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{"id":3057,"date":"2023-05-12T03:00:43","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T11:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/?p=3057"},"modified":"2023-05-06T13:59:24","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:59:24","slug":"stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/05\/stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Saying, “There, But for the Grace of God, Go I.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Stop saying, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

"There, <\/a>

Image by Amaia pascual from Pixabay<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

History of the Phrase<\/strong><\/h2>\n It\u2019s important to note the ironic origins of this phrase. <\/strong>According to The Word Counter<\/a><\/span>, there is a (somewhat doubtful) universal tradition about the origin of this phrase:<\/p>\n " There\u2019s a record of this attribution to Bradford in A Treatise on Prayer written by Edward Bickersteth in 1822:<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>\u201cThe pious Martyr Bradford, when he saw a poor criminal led to execution, exclaimed, \u2018there, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.\u2019 He knew that the same evil principles were in his own heart which had brought the criminal to that shameful end.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>As universal tradition, or legend, has it, Bradford uttered the expression using his own name when seeing criminals being led to their death, realizing it could be him. Interestingly, he didn\u2019t escape such a fate for long: He was burned at the stake in 1555.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Whether Bradford actually said this or not, the story does a good job at illustrating the hypocrisy of the expression. It suggests the warning, \u201cYou\u2019d better be careful about your assumptions regarding God\u2019s grace. You may be closer to the person you pity than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n From the Lips of Passersby<\/strong><\/h2>\n Working as I do with people who use drugs and struggle with addiction, I hear this phrase a lot. Granted, it\u2019s old-fashioned, but people still say it. Usually, you hear it from the lips of passersby, observing someone in a difficult circumstance. <\/strong>I\u2019ve heard it from folks shaking their heads in pity at a person experiencing homelessness curled up on the sidewalk. Ostensibly, they say it to remind themselves not to be judgmental, and that\u2019s a good thing. This phrase sounds like it says, \u201cI could be in the same boat if I didn\u2019t have the grace of God in my life. So, I need to be gracious to them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n On the Backend\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n **But, if you listen carefully, this phrase says something entirely different. <\/strong>On the backend, it says, \u201cI\u2019m not like this other person, because I have the grace of God in my life.\u201d It reminds me of the\u2026<\/p>\n " \u00a0<\/em>Pharisee [who] <\/em>stood over by himself and prayed, \u201cGod, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there\u2026<\/em> The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, \u201cGod, have pity on me! I am such a sinner (Luke 18.11, 13 CEV).\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/em>On the backend, this phrase says that I\u2019m better than the other person<\/strong>. It implies that I\u2019m spiritually superior. And this attitude completely goes against the point of grace.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A Common Misconception<\/strong><\/h2>\n*** *This phrase presumes that the reason I don\u2019t suffer from addiction, poverty, or other calamity is because God has given me special grace not given to this other person<\/strong>. What arrogance! It presumes that believers are blessed, and unbelievers are not blessed. And it presumes that those who struggle must not be believers.<\/p>\n In the book of Job<\/a>,<\/span> many of Job\u2019s friends felt this way. \u201c<\/strong>You must have done something wrong,\u201d they told him. \u201cYou must deserve the destruction that fell on you and your family.\u201d Job\u2019s friends gave counsel that aligned with the common misconception that good people prosper, while sinners struggle. The presumption is that grace is something we earn by being good. Such a notion forgets the meaning of grace entirely.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n God\u2019s Unmerited Favor<\/strong><\/h2>\n The word grace<\/em> means God\u2019s unmerited favor.<\/strong> There is nothing that anyone can do to earn it, and nothing that anyone can do to deny it. Jesus said<\/a><\/span> God makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the righteous as well as the wicked. in other words, God continually gives grace to the world, no matter what. It\u2019s not a matter of deserving it. We don\u2019t get grace because we\u2019re good. We get grace because God is good.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Grace and Grits<\/strong><\/h2>\n When I was young, I heard a sermon that stuck with me. I don\u2019t remember who preached it, but this idea is not mine. The preacher said that grace is like grits. In the American South, when you order off the menu at some diners, grits<\/a><\/span> comes as part of the meal. If they bring you your food and you didn\u2019t order grits, you might tell the server, \u201cI didn\u2019t ask for this, and I\u2019m not paying for it.\u201d Then the server will reply, \u201cOh, Sugar, you don\u2019t have to ask for grits. Grits just comes.\u201d Grace is like grits. You don\u2019t have to ask for it.<\/strong> It\u2019s not a matter of inviting Jesus into your heart to receive it. Grace just comes.<\/p>\n If we had to believe it in order to receive it, if we had to ask for it, then, that belief and request would be a good work that we did to please God and deserve that blessing.<\/strong> In that case, it wouldn\u2019t be grace. It would no longer be God\u2019s unmerited favor. It would be something that we received because we earned it by believing. But, since by definition, grace cannot be earned, grace is like grits. It just comes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We Create Injustice<\/strong><\/h2>\n*** Therefore, we shouldn\u2019t say, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\u201d Because everyone has God\u2019s grace. Grace is not what keeps one person from addiction, while another person succumbs. The lack of divine grace does not cause poverty or unjust circumstances. Instead, we create injustice in the world when we look down on someone else and presume that we are more special than they are, that we are the recipients of God\u2019s grace, and they are not.<\/strong> At its worst, this phrase promotes the very injustices that caused the trauma which underlies addiction, poverty, and so much human pain.<\/p>\n *\u00a0<\/p>\n What Should We Say?<\/strong><\/h2>\n So, if we shouldn\u2019t use this phrase, what should we say?<\/strong> Let\u2019s try this\u2014Let\u2019s abbreviate that phrase. \u201cThere, but for the grace of God,<\/span> go I\u201d becomes, \u201cThere go I.\u201d By removing the notion that divine grace qualifies me and disqualifies them, I make myself their equal. I understand that on a mystical level, there is no difference between them and me<\/a><\/span>. Instead of saying, \u201cThat could be me,\u201d it\u2019s better to say, \u201cThat is me.\u201d Let\u2019s try to understand that we are all linked together in spirit. When our neighbors on the street suffer, we hurt too. And when someone is trapped by addiction, we are caught ourselves.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mystical Union<\/strong><\/h2>\n This mystical union does not simply link one individual to another. Instead, it melts us into one. <\/strong>The apostle Paul communicated this when he said, \u201cIn Christ\u2019s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ (Galatians 3.28 MSG<\/span><\/a>).\u201d<\/em> I can no longer judge people by the binaries of black and white, gay or straight, addict or sober, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat, citizen or foreigner, sinner or saint. I can no longer say, \u201cI am #Blessed, and you are #Not.\u201d Instead, my blessedness is so related to yours that I cannot truly delight in my blessing until my neighbor is safe and well.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n #Blessed Nations<\/strong><\/h2>\n*** This applies to societies and nations as much as it applies to individuals.<\/strong> For example, when Americans look at neighbors in developing countries and say, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I,\u201d we judge them for their relative poverty and presume a lot about God\u2019s grace. We presume there is something we\u2019ve done to deserve our wealth. We conclude that for some reason, they deserve their humbler situation. Somehow, we think that we are different from them and that there isn\u2019t one universal Spirit linking all humankind. With a little more understanding of mystical union, the world would be a lot better off.<\/p>\n *\u00a0<\/p>\n Stop Saying, \u201cThere, but for the Grace of God, Go I\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n*** So, the next time you see someone who is down and out, think twice before you use this phrase. Instead of saying, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I,\u201d try saying, \u201cThere go I.\u201d By embracing this attitude, we tear down the dividing wall of hostility and create peace instead of pity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For Further Reading, Check Out My Other Articles:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\nJesus and Trauma-Informed Care<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nRetributive vs. Restorative Justice: Doing Good to Those Who Harm Us<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nWhat\u2019s the Best Way for Churches to Do Benevolence?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nWhat Jesus Said to the Homeless Man<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" *************Stop saying, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it. History of the Phrase It\u2019s important to note the ironic origins of this phrase. According to The Word Counter, there is a (somewhat doubtful) universal tradition about the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4628,"featured_media":3174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,6],"tags":[2283,2280,2277,2286,2274],"class_list":["post-3057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-justice","category-spirituality","tag-jobs-friends","tag-judging-others","tag-martyr-john-bradford","tag-spiritual-arrogance","tag-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i"],"yoast_head":"\nStop Saying, "There, But for the Grace of God, Go I."<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stop saying, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/05\/stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stop Saying, "There, But for the Grace of God, Go I."\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stop saying, \u201cThere, but for the grace of God, go I.\u201d This little phrase means well, I guess, but here\u2019s why we absolutely need to change it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/05\/stop-saying-there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-i\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Breathing Space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/revgregsmith\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-12T11:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-06T21:59:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1467\/2023\/04\/poor-gda6ef33aa_1280.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"782\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"455\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gregory T. 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Smith","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca2ee2013d5109deb11b902c4746d9f1?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca2ee2013d5109deb11b902c4746d9f1?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Gregory T. Smith"},"description":"Gregory T. Smith lives in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia and works in social services in northern Washington State. Before this work, he pastored churches in Virginia for more than twenty-five years, while writing the long-running newspaper column \u201cSpirit and Truth.\u201d He is a regular blogger at Patheos.com and a contributing author to Quoir books including Sitting in the Shade of Another Tree: What We Learn by Listening to Other Faiths, and Quantum Theology, Vol. 2. Greg holds a degree in Religious Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and pursued additional theological studies at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. He is married to Christina, and together they have seven children and a growing number of grandchildren. His book, \"Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Way of Love\" is scheduled for publication this fall.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/revgregsmith\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gregsmithbreathingspace\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/revgregsmith\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/revgregsmith1"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/author\/gsmith\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4628"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} " "