What is grace? Theologically speaking, grace is the spontaneous character of God in which He designs gifts and bestows favors upon one who does not deserve them and cannot earn them. Not necessarily theologically speaking, grace is an act of kindness or of kind assistance to one in need of it.

What is law? Theologically speaking, law is The Ten Commandments or the Pentateuch. Not necessarily theologically speaking, law in a society is a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority.

Discerning the proper balance between grace and, for lack of a better way of putting it, law is usually a difficult task, requiring a good measure of wisdom.

The supreme example of grace is witnessed in Jesus Christ's sacrificial gift. Another example of grace is witnessed in "Le Miserables," when the Bishop of Digne offers Jean Valjean unconditional love, trusting the former criminal with his life and giving him all he can give. Valjean finds in that grace the inspiration for an entirely new life. His behavior is dramatically altered by grace [that sounds like the story of Christ too, yes?]. Surely, that is the purpose and design behind grace -- to provide inspiration for a new way of living, a better way of living.

I must admit, I am not prone to be able to find the proper balance between the two. I have a friend who is extremely gracious. Most of the time that friend balances or offsets my propensity to be legalistic. Maybe my propensity to be legalistic balances my friend's propensity toward grace?

All too often, there are those who would, rather than be inspired to improved behavior, take advantage of the graciousness of another. My friend does not often see that; I do often see that.

The opportunity for the exercise of grace is possible in every aspect of life. A judge might be gracious by suspending a sentence. A banker might be gracious by extending credit to a credit risk. A highway patrolman might be gracious by simply saying, "Please drive slower." A newspaper might be gracious by either not running a story or by "hiding" it somewhere inside the paper where it might not be found. Grace is possible everywhere.

A judge is not likely to be gracious to a repeat offender. A banker is not likely to be gracious to a credit risk if that person has repeatedly displayed the inability to manage money. A highway patrolman is not likely to be gracious to a driver speeding at 80 mph in a 55 mph zone whereas he might be if the driver was driving 60 mph. A newspaper is not likely to be gracious when a leader in a community obviously violates values and principles which that leader is supposed to be exampling.

Like it or not, leaders are held to a higher standard -- or at least they should be. I remember a best-selling book, the best best-selling book in history in fact, saying [I am paraphrasing] that not many of us should become leaders because those who lead are held to higher standards [see James 3:1].

The ultimate consequence to not finding the proper balance between grace and law is tyranny -- those who lead lead harshly and severely, wanting grace for themselves but exercising legalism toward others, personally living under one "gracious" set of rules for themselves while forcing another "legalistic" set of rules upon the "ruled."

Holding leaders accountable is one way, and usually a very effective way, of guarding, ultimately, against tyranny.

The bottom line is this: public officials are and should be held to higher standards not lower ones. And, as a former president is noted for saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Jack Rollins is the managing editor of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.