Read This Article! You hear a lot of talk in the media today about Kobe Bryant's Fall from Grace. I have heard John Saunders on ESPN use this expression. There have been several media polls which include this alleged Fall from Grace as one of the top stories of the year. But is it really even a story? It seems as though the media has taken the position that Kobe has a experienced a Fall from Grace. It is almost as if they wish to continue to find fault with the guy even after all of the legal charges against him were dropped! Why is this? Well of course there is the negative influence of Shaquille O'Neal and his unwillingness to let what happened between him and Kobe rest. He is not even willing to acknowledge Kobe by mentioning his name not to mention accepting his public apology. This is clearly a man who has influenced the media negatively towards Kobe Bryant. He is also a very proud man who by not mentioning the person he is referring to by name is putting himself on a pedestal almost as if he is a god granting forgiveness to whom he will and whom he won't. Clearly in the mind of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant has had a Fall from Grace. That is the grace that is the earned favor of Shaquille O'Neal. Then there is Phil Jackson who has written a book about the Laker's season. Even the name of the book has spiritual implications "A team in search of it's soul". In this book Phil Jackson places the blame of the break up of the Lakers on Kobe Bryant's shoulders as he does the loss of the NBA finals. He too puts himself as judge of the situation and thereby renders Kobe guilty of his accusations. A god rendering his verdict. Kobe in his mind has experienced a Fall from Grace. Grace in this case being the earned favor of Phil Jackson. The Bible has a different explanation of Grace. In the Bible we find that Grace cannot be EARNED. Grace in the Bible is defined as the "unearned favor of God". There is nothing good that anyone can do to earn God's Grace. It is unmerited favor. Therefore, a Fall from Grace cannot denote falling from a position of status which you have earned or are entitled to as the media would have us to believe. On the contrary, since Grace cannot be earned, it can only be given to someone who does not necessarily deserve it. Kobe Bryant, like many of us, needs God's Grace. He needs the unearned favor of God and he knows it. It is my belief that Kobe has accepted this Grace as he put himself in a position where he had no other choice but to humble himself before God and ask for His forgiveness. He asked for God's favor even though he knew he did not deserve it. If Kobe is a recipient of God's Grace or His unearned favor, then Kobe did not have a 'Fall from Grace', he had a 'Fall to Grace'. Kobe has fallen into the Grace of God, not out of it or from it. Why? Because he knows he does not deserve it, nor is there anything he can do to earn it. His only argument for it is his need of it, as it is for all of us who have received it. It simply comes from God because of who HE is and not because of who we are. Phil Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal do not understand this. They think that grace comes to you because of who you are and what you have attained. The media, like a bunch of parrots, repeat the assertions of these alleged wise men. Thus the expression a Fall from Grace. If, however, we apply the Biblical definition of Grace which cannot be earned or attained to the media and these individuals, we can say that they have experienced a Fall from Grace. Since the Grace of God only comes to those who are undeserving and they believe it must be earned, we can only conclude that they have never experienced it and have fallen from it. A Fall from Grace in the Biblical sense is never to experience the unearned favor of God. It is never feel the need of God's Forgiveness. It is never know the Goodness of God. It is simply not to know Him. A Fall from Grace really then is to Fall from Favor with God; the unearned favor that He gives to those who need it.
