Occasionally a film comes along that has the ability to leave a mark on our soul.  The movie Amazing Grace is just such a film!  It tells the story of William Wilberforce, a 16th/17th century member of English parliament, who devoted his life to abolishing the slave trade in England.  A truly inspiring story that reminds us of the difference one person can make, and how God can use us where we are when we give our lives to Him, not unlike Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and countless other individuals who have changed the world.

It was, however, a secondary character in this movie, that perhaps affected me most profoundly, that of hymn writer John Newton, best known for writing the beloved hymn Amazing Grace.  After seeing this movie, I may never sing or hear this hymn again without profound gratitude to God (and probably a lump in my throat) for His truly amazing grace.

Those of us who are well-versed in "Christian talk" are accustomed to the word grace.  We talk about being "saved by grace," we can sing all the verses to Newton's hymn, and we can probably even define grace as "unmerited favor."  Have we, though, despite cognitively knowing its importance, ever truly grasped the depth of its meaning in our soul?  We have accepted God's grace, but have we felt the depth of the gift we have accepted?

What is grace?  We understand mercy a little more clearly.  Mercy is "not getting the punishment we deserve."  A disobedient child knows he deserves to be punished for his actions, and he hopes for mercy.  He hopes not to get what he deserves.  Mercy is what we hope we'll get from the officer when we are caught speeding.  Grace is the flip side of mercy, perhaps an extra step beyond mercy.  Grace is "getting what we do not deserve."  Grace is making a 90 on a test, but being given an A.  Grace is agreeing to work for $6 an hour and being paid $10, or $50.  Undeserved.  Unmerited favor.

John Newton, as depicted in the movie, lived his life haunted by his past.  He had been the commander of an English slave ship, prior to becoming a Christian, and claimed to be surrounded by ghosts of the thousands of Africans he had transported to lives of slavery or to death.  They all had names, he said, beautiful African names.  He joined a monastery and lived an humble life of devotion to God, writing many hymns and eventually writing his memoirs of the slave trafficking, as he dealt with his own remorse and repentance before God.   Newton knew God's grace, not as a word, but as an amazing unfathomable gift.  Newton understood what he deserved, and he was amazed that God gave him salvation and love in its place.

Like the word grace, Newton's hymn has become so familiar to us, that it is difficult to hear its depth anymore.  Familiarity is good for doctrine, but it is a detriment to touching the soul.  Can we hear the words as Newton wrote them?  Can we hear the words beyond our ears and minds, and understand them within our deepest being?  Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!  I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.  'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Can we manage to capture that deep understanding, even if just for a fleeting moment?  Can we, just for a moment, look through all the facades that this life places on us, and see ourselves as the wretches we are in the light of God's glory?  Can we, for one moment, truly realize that we are not deserving of God's grace?  Can we, for just a moment see the total hopelessness we possess on our own?  If we can, even just for a moment, we will see a glimpse of God's amazing grace.  This movie gave me just such a moment, and deepened my soul.  God's amazing grace: so much more than a word.