Дублінці
Grace
Hecametospeaktobusinessmenandhewouldspeaktotheminabusinesslikeway.Ifhemightusethemetaphor,hesaid,hewastheirspiritualaccountant;andhewishedeachandeveryoneofhishearerstoopenhisbooks,thebooksofhisspirituallife,andseeiftheytalliedaccuratelywithconscience.
JesusChristwasnotahardtaskmaster.Heunderstoodourlittlefailings,understoodtheweaknessofourpoorfallennature,understoodthetemptationsofthislife.Wemighthavehad,weallhadfromtimetotime,ourtemptations:wemighthave,weallhad,ourfailings.Butonethingonly,hesaid,hewouldaskofhishearers.Andthatwas:tobestraightandmanlywithGod.Iftheiraccountstalliedineverypointtosay:
“Well,Ihaveverifiedmyaccounts.Ifindallwell.”
Butif,asmighthappen,thereweresomediscrepancies,toadmitthetruth,tobefrankandsaylikeaman:
“Well,Ihavelookedintomyaccounts.Ifindthiswrongandthiswrong.But,withGod’sgrace,Iwillrectifythisandthis.Iwillsetrightmyaccounts.”
