Sometimes the sequel isn’t as good as the original. In my freshman year, I earned an A in the first semester of the course, but when part two came around in the second semester, I became cocky. I missed several classes and did not complete many of the assignments. At the end of the semester, I learned I was failing the course. I met with the professor, and he told me the only way I could pass would be to earn good grades on both the final exam and the final project.
To make a long story short, he granted me the opportunity. I earned strong enough grades to pass the course. If not for this professor’s grace, I would have had to re-take the course and might have jeopardized my chances of graduating on time. I still owe him a debt of gratitude.
I learned three things. First, I learned to address problems, especially those that I caused, head-on. Second, I learned I needed to tame my arrogance. Third, I learned that I shouldn’t rely on second chances, much less third or fourth chances. In Heaven, there might be “amazing grace,” but on Earth, grace is limited. Even the most generous person cannot offer endless chances.
I have offered grace – second chances – to many of my students over the years. Often when we believe a person is capable and give them a chance to prove it, they come through. Sometimes, the work isn’t pretty, but it meets the requirement and we can move on with our lives. It seems to me grace is subject to the “do unto others” principle. The hard part is knowing when to stop. Sometimes more grace will not do any good.
It occurs to me that humanity has been given many “second chances” throughout history. It doesn’t matter whether we attribute these to God, nature, or chance. We have made it through dark ages of wars, plagues, famines, cultural shifts, natural disasters, ice ages, pogroms, -isms, genocides, and the specter of nuclear annihilation (so far). Sometimes we have made it “by the skin of our teeth,” as historian Kenneth Clark once put it. Each time, a significant portion of the population didn’t make it, often because they heroically fought and died to save the rest of us.
Greek mythology suggests that all the evils we face were released when the first mortal woman, Pandora, impetuously opened the jar that contained them. She tried to close it, but only managed to hold on to hope, which would have been the last thing to fly from the jar. According to Dante, above the Gates of Hell are carved the words, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Hope is a precious commodity on Earth, and it makes sense that hope will be absent from Hell.
The rest of the story is that Pandora married Epimetheus, and their daughter, Pyrrha, married Prometheus’ son, Deucalion. The couple then repopulated the Earth, thus giving humanity a second chance. Pandora, created by the gods as a punishment for humanity, also became a source of hope and renewal.
The story of Adam and Eve can be seen as a parallel account. Eve, the first woman, was enticed to partake of a forbidden fruit. Adam also succumbed, and both were exiled from paradise. But God offered them a second chance. This time life would be much more difficult. They, and the rest of humanity, would face many hardships and challenges. And yet, there is still hope.
If you are reading this, I hope you will make the most of your second chances. I believe with a little faith and love, you can. We all can.
Our story isn’t over yet. Even so, humanity won’t get second chances forever, in other words, we can’t count on unending chances. At some point, we will reach our last chance. No more do-overs, no more grace periods, no more extra-credit, no more extensions. We play a dangerous game when we get cocky and think the rules of the universe do not apply to us.
I like to think Pandora and Eve made the most of their second chances. I reflect that if a few historical events had turned out differently, we wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be writing this. But we are still here and I’m trying my best. I suppose that’s all any of us can do. That’s what second chances are for.
