When Bill Clinton was running for president, there was a phrase that drove his political campaign. It was invoked repeatedly so that no one in the campaign would lose sight of the core issue at stake. Do you remember what it was? "It's about the economy, stupid." Lest anyone get sidetracked on unrelated issues, the reminder was ever before them: "It's about the economy, stupid."

As Christians who happen to also be Lutheran, there is a phrase that we could adopt that might help us clarify the core issue at stake for us. For we have a tendency to get sidetracked with so many extraneous issues that we can lose sight of our center. That's when we need to stop and remind ourselves: Duh! It's about grace, stupid! Grace, the unconditional love of God that is given freely to the undeserving. It s…