An African Analogy on Wesley’s Means of Grace
In the attempt to describe the “means of grace,” some have attempted to explain it as a “Pipeline.”[1] While appreciating the analogy of the “pipe” as a conduit to God’s graces, Dr. Tammie Grimm takes issue with the simplicity of the analogy as a “transmission system” to explain the complexity of the means of grace as a “continuum.” Dr. Grimm explains “means of grace” in the faith growth as “…a divine resource available in abundance.” Pastors and those engaged in the spiritual formation of communities and congregations will, from time to time, seek means of how to communicate the need for spiritual maturity.
Emanating from an African oral culture that thrives in storytelling from one generation to another, I would modify the “Pipeline” analogy to discuss the Christian as a “Bamboo at the Master’s disposal.” It is said of the “Bamboo” that was so precious and would dance in the Master’s Garden at the center of the field. The Master was so impressed with the “Bamboo” that he demanded, “Bamboo, I need to use you.” Bamboo, excited that the Master needed him, worshiped the Master and said, “Master, take me and use me.” The Master was quiet and, in sudden urgency but in deep sorrow, said, “Bamboo, Bamboo, if I have to use, I must cut you open, rip you apart, and empty you completely.”
The Bamboo stopped his dance and appealed to the Master to use him as he was upright and steady. To which the Master replied, “Bamboo, Bamboo, if I do not cut you, rip you, and empty you, I cannot use you. Thus, it is said that the Bamboo yielded to the Master was cut open, ripped apart, and emptied completely. The Bamboo that was once “alive” in its “dead” form got laid on the ground as a conduit to water a dry field, and thousands have been fed from the yield since the Bamboo died.
The complexity of the Bamboos’ life in the Master’s hand is Paul’s analogy of “…treasures in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Reflecting on the “means of grace” among the Christian community, it is proper to say that, the “Divine Grace” is endowed to us by God’s favor, poured in us for God’s service, and used in us for God’s glory.
[1] “Tammie Grimm ~ A Pipeline of Grace: Pros and Cons – Seedbed,” n.d., accessed September 20, 2023, https://seedbed.com/tammie-grimm-a-pipeline-of-grace-pros-and-cons/.