Here's a parabole from PeterRollins, in his book Insurrection (believe is human; to doubt, divine), which so poignantly illustrates grace:
There was once a young man called Caleb who was obsessed with gathering up possessions and gaining status. He was so driven by the desire to succeed that, from an early age, he managed to become one of the most prominent and influential figures in the city. Yet he was unhappy with his lot. he worked long hours, was rarely his children, and often became irritable at the slightest problem. But more than this, he knew his lifestyle met his father's disapproval.
His father had himself been a wealthy and influential man in his youth, but he had found such a life shallow and unsatisfactory. As a result, he had turned away from it in an endeavor to embrace a life of simplicity, fellowship and meditation.
...he had warned Caleb in the strongest possible way to embrace a life that delves deeply into the beauty of creation, the warmth of fellowship, and the inspiration derived from deep and sustained reflection.
Caleb's father was an inspiring man, well loved by all, and Caleb could see that his father, while living in a modest way, was at peace with himself and the world in a manner that his friends and colleagues were not. Because of this, Caleb often looked longing at his father's lifestyle and frequently detested the path that he had personally chosen. Yet, despite this, he was still driven to pursue wealth and power.
It was true that his father was a happy and contented man, but he was concerned about his son, and on any occasion when they spent time together, he would criticize Caleb for the life he had chosen.
But one day while Caleb's father was reflecting upon his son's life, a voice from heaven interrupted him, saying, "Caleb is also my son, and I love him just the way he is."
Caleb's father began to weep as he realized that all these years he had been hurting his son through his disapproval and criticism. So he immediately visited his son's house and offered a heartfelt apology, saying, "Please never feel that you need to change what you do or who you are. I love you without limit and condition just as you are".
After that day, the father began to take interest in his son's life again, asking questions about what he was doing and how his work was progressing. But, increasingly, Caleb found that he was no longer so interested in working the long hours. Soon he started to skip work in order to spend more time with his family and began to take less interest in what others thought of him.
Eventually, Caleb gave up his work entirely and followed in his father's footsteps, realizing that it was only after his father had accepted him unconditionally for who he was that he was able to change and become who he always wanted to be.
Rollins goes on to say; this is nothing less than a description of grace. In grace we are able to accept that we are accepted and, in this very act of knowing we do not have to change, we discover the ability to change. It is in experiencing the license of grace rather than the legalism of prohibition that real transformation becomes possible.
