Believe it or not, but seminary can lead to contemplation about the character of God. (Who knew, right?) Of all the things I've learned over my first semester, the concept of grace has been the most moving, transformational and powerful. I can't say I fully appreciate God's grace, but even a slightly better perspective of what it means and what holiness is has brought an incredible sense of humility and gratitude into my life. Lately, my prayers have been centered upon or entirely composed of the plea, "Lord, be gracious with me for your name's sake." This kind of request is repeated throughout scripture, and especially in the Psalms. (Go to Bible Gateway, sometime, do a search for "gracious" and see just how many times and in what contexts it comes up. It's pretty amazing.) Grace is extraordinary, to me, because it's even better than mercy. Mercy is when you don't get what you deserve. It's a softening of justice, in a way. Grace is when you do get what you don't deserve. The beauty of the concept blows my mind, and the Doctor paints a marvelous picture of this beauty.
In this post, I'll give three examples of the Doctor's graciousness in the form of forgiveness. I hope with these illustrations that you'll get a small taste of how profound and wonderful grace is, and how stunning it is that God should choose to offer us forgiveness for the offensive and egregious thing that is sin.
Nine
For the record, I love the Ninth Doctor. He was my first Doctor, and his time was far too short. (Aside: please, Mr. Moffat, ask him to be involved with the 50th anniversary! And please, Mr. Eccleston, agree to come back!) Nine was kinda hardcore, what with the leather jacket, the survivor's guilt, the ruthlessness toward his enemies and the general dislike of humans - aka "stupid apes" - other than special ones like Rose. However, he had moments of touching grace that made you think, "Yes, the Doctor is wonderful."
One of my favorite Eccleston episodes is Father's Day, in which he and Rose travel back to the day her father was killed. Rose ends up interfering with established events by saving her father's life, which in turn rips reality apart and summons creatures called Reapers whose purpose is to sterilize wounds in time by removing things from existence. Basically, Rose brings about the destruction of all of space and time. And at first she doesn't care, because she saved her dad. (To be fair, she had no idea the implications of her actions until creepy flying creatures started inhaling people...but isn't that so human? We can't comprehend the consequences of our sins, and we might not really care that we break God's laws until we start seeing the devastation and scarring that it leaves. Food for thought.)
Nine is understandably upset with her, especially as she refuses to admit that what she did was wrong. But then we have these scenes. The video is ten minutes long, so if you don't feel like watching all of it, check out the first minute, then 6:38-8:45:
I love the last bit because all Nine asks for is a simple apology, then he forgives her. No shaming, no berating - just a touch, a smile and a hug, and he lets go of all of Rose's selfishness, pride and destructive actions. Completely forgiven, despite the fact that the world is collapsing outside the church and it's entirely her fault.
God deals with us in the same sort of manner. He asks for repentance, then he forgives and lets it go. (Psalm 103:12) Only through Christ's sacrificial atonement is this possible, but because Jesus died and was resurrected, all we need to be forgiven is merely to be sorry and seek pardon. It was by grace that we were saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:8), and it is by God's mercy that we don't have to endure eternal punishment.
Ten
Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap.
In the series 3 finale, the Tenth Doctor goes up against his old rival, the Master, played by the endearingly insane John Simm. I could write about what happens in the three-part story with the Master at first being the kindly, Time Lord-turned-human Professor Yana, the Doctor showing up on the scene and the Master re-emerging to wreak his typical mayhem, then the ensuing struggle between good and evil. I could do that, or I could let Chameleon Circuit do it for me. The following is called The Sound of Drums, and it's off the album Still Got Legs. You're welcome.
Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords is possibly my favorite season finale in Ten's reign. Mostly it's because John Simm plays a hilarious Master. But it's also because I absolutely adore the way the Doctor acts in all three episodes. For those unfamiliar with Classic Who, the Master is not only an evil Time Lord enemy from way back, but he also rivals the Doctor in the brilliance department. He is a foil to our beloved hero, as he's what the Doctor could be, were he narcissistic instead of selfless.What's sad about the Master is that he and the Doctor were friends as children on Gallifrey. Then the former went mad and turned into the villain bent on ruling the universe before watching it burn. The centuries of enmity and struggle between the Doctor and the Master unfold in various stories throughout Classic Who, all of which result in devastation, pain and death at the Master's maleficence. He's even responsible for the death of the Doctor's fourth incarnation. Everything about the Master earns him swift and final judgment. So at the end of Last of the Time Lords, when the Doctor thwarts the Master's evil plan, we're expecting the good old Doc to bring the boom. And he does, like this:
Forgiveness. The Doctor offers forgiveness. Completely undeserved and unrequested. How amazingly Christlike is that? And then he goes and wants to take care of him for the rest of his life! And then he weeps when the Master dies! THE FEELS!
Eleven
Series 6 had a ridiculously complicated plot. I don't even think it's possible to summarize, except perhaps like this:
Anyway, we eventually find out (SPOILERS) that the astronaut who kills/almost kills the Doctor at Lake Silencio was actually River Song, the mysterious woman who loves Eleven more than anyone in the universe. (I'm going to assume you either know the events that transpire or will look them up, because rehashing it will take me days.) The scene we get in The Wedding of River Song, just before River messes with time and causes reality to implode, is beyond touching:
The Doctor knows River will kill him, that she can't control the space suit, that she loves him and hates herself for being what she is, that time will disintegrate if she doesn't do her job and that the time to die has come. In the moment of her betrayal, albeit unwitting, the Doctor submits to his fate and never once blames her. In the face of death, he has nothing but compassion for his murderer. Anticipating her self-loathing, he makes it perfectly clear that, no matter what, she is always forgiven. In every timeline, for every offense, in any state of mind, he loves her anyway and gives her the grace she doesn't believe she deserves.
On the cross, Jesus prayed for the Jews and Romans who mocked him and put him there, saying "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) In the face of his death, in the midst of his agony, he had compassion and extended forgiveness to the treacherous and faithless crowd. He knew they would call for his crucifixion, he knew he had to die in order that we might be saved, and he never once cast blame. In every moment, for every offense, for every person present who did not realize he was Messiah, he loved anyway and offered the grace they didn't deserve. Then he died and rose again so that we may be always and completely forgiven.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Psalm 103.
Until next time! May you remember the gauntlets when handling the...wait, what was I writing?
Katya
