God Shed His Grace on Thee

An appeal to our better angels

America Guided by Wisdom: An allegorical representation of the United States depicting their independence and prosperity by John James Barralet, 1815 (public domain — Library of Congress)

“If you are ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory.” — Commander Tim Collins, 2003

As children, we learn that there’s no honor in being a sore loser.

We’re taught to shake hands and wish our opponents well, even if it means feigning happiness or enthusiasm for them.

But we also learn there’s no honor in being a sore winner, either.

No one likes someone who gloats, makes merry, or rubs it in at their opponent’s expense.

These simple examples are representative of the concept of grace.

Grace has a number of definitions, from the more physical, meaning elegance of movement, to the religious, signifying the favor of God.

For our purposes, let’s focus on the definition of grace that means courteous goodwill. Magnanimity, if you will.

I’m reminded of the Three Graces of mythology—the three d…